When we bought our house the kitchen was a boxed in cave, papered in polka dots and Coca-Cola border. We knocked out half a wall between the kitchen and living room and topped the half-wall with a $5 Re-Store counter top.  For six years we have been unable to share a meal around a table.  The kids sat on stools at the counter while we ate at the coffee table.  Six years.

Last week my dad tore out the wall.  Leveled the floor.  Resituated wiring.  Brought over an old table.

we used to play games on the kitchen floor but not anymore : )

I set the table, the same one I ate around when I was a child.  Forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right.  Drinking glass above the knife.  Salt and pepper in the center.  I called everyone to the table.  Television off.  We talked around mouthfuls of rice.  Liam complained about the green beans.  ("But I don't wike peas!!!")  Zander complained about the rib sauce.  ("But I don't like it on my rice.")  Noa ate everything and then rubbed her messy plate through her hair.  What a beautiful thing.

And someday we'll have beautiful flooring to pull it all together but, for now, I'm content with the red linoleum kitchen meeting the orange tiled living room because, let's face it, I'm just a patchwork, mish-mash kind of girl.