But First...Tacos!

But First...Tacos!

Warning: Mentions slicing, chopping, dicing and multiple other abuses to vegetables for the expressed intent of masticating and devouring them.

(P.S. by author M.B. Added this warning because in my very first story posted on this site I admit I chopped down a personified tree for the purpose of building something else. The powers that be tagged the entry as containing abuse in an otherwise peaceful tale that I thought was suitable for children;)

A hazy smoke filtered throughout the kitchen and permeated the entire house with a delicious aroma. Combusted gas licked at the lava rocks in the flame table on the deck lined with comfortable seating for ten to twelve people. Bean bags, birdies and rackets stood at the ready next to the net and corn-hole targets on the back lawn. Decks of cards and Uno awaited risk takers in an upstairs game room. Plenty of pillows beckoned those ready for an all out war...

But first...Tacos!

Slicing and dicing tomato, chopping onion and yellow peppers, quartering black olives, shredding lettuce and cheese, mashing avocados. Setting out the salsa and chips and sour cream. Heating up some chicken nuggets for the littlest ones. Coffee brewing for the guys. Done with my part. Wife has seasoned the ground burger and is frying shells, corn and flour, in coconut oil for the health conscious, thus smoking up the entire house.

All is prepared. Time for the onslaught to begin. My favorite night of the week! Taco night!

And they're off! Who will be first to arrive?

Usually it is the oldest grand-daughter and her handy husband of three years. He really likes to eat but they have a brand new baby boy, our first great-grandson, so it is possible they won't come tonight.

Our sports enthusiast grandson walks over from around the corner before the rest of his family, especially when he has a tennis, soccer or band event to attend. Sometimes he eats one and is done and gone. He is going on sixteen so will be driving before the month is out.

His sisters won't be here tonight. The oldest one recently got her master's degree and has a job waiting for her in the burbs. Got moved into her apartment over the weekend.

The second sister left with her cousin after his visit last week. He now lives in North Dakota with his bride. She met a special young man at said cousin's wedding a year or so ago. They have kept a long-distance relationship alive ever since even though her mother doesn't approve because she still has two years of college to finish and she would be so far from home if they do decide to make it permanent. She'll be gone another week.

Their parents, our oldest son, recently retired from law enforcement, and his wife will arrive soon.

Our only daughter's husband comes over right after work if his construction project is in town. She and their eleven-year-old daughter will come in from the farm shortly. If their tall farm boy son doesn't have other plans he may bring his fiancee along. She is sister to his sister's husband. They plan on getting married in the fall so will take possession this month of the house they bought to fix up before the big event.

The daughter and her husband are the new grandparents of that precious baby boy. It is also their son with his bride in N.D.

Never can tell who out of our second son's family will show up and when. The two oldest have their own wheels and plans. His wife volunteers at many church functions so sometimes keeps the younger two boys with her or they may arrive with their dad after a day of fishing. But most of the time all six of them make it, maybe in four different cars. Reserved parking only on the street in front of our house on these nights.

Our youngest son and his wife attended two weeks ago probably for the last time for a long time because they moved to Florida this past week. That's something they've been wanting to do for a long time. Their two grown daughters moved into their own shared home in town early last month. They still plan on getting here as much as possible.

Of course, there are other members of the family that live out of state so rarely make it for the big events, mainly my own son with wife and four kids.

So, if you kept count, that's me, Papa, and Grandma, four adult children and their spouses, thirteen grandchildren plus three of their spouses or spouse-to-be, and one teeny, tiny great-grandson. Twenty-seven, give or take if any of them bring a friend or two, crammed into our eat-in kitchen and 14'x13' front room spilling into the great outdoors, weather permitting, or an upstairs playroom.

As you can tell, times, they are a-changing. Our once bustling overcrowded gathering is dwindling and aging from the chaotic past with thirteen or more stair-step aged kids to more mature ventures. We have lively discussions and sometimes Bible studies. “As for me and my house we will serve tacos. Salsa 24:7” says the wooden plaque on our kitchen wall given to us by one of the witty women. It hangs right next to the sign that says: 'Bless the Food before us, the Family beside us and the Love between us.'

We celebrate any birthdays happening during the week. Sometimes only one, sometimes multiples. Neighbors may wonder what all the caterwauling is about! Oh, what a night! Taco night!

I remember Sundays as a kid. Church, first and always, then to grandmother's house we would go. Big dinner laid out by Grandma. Nobody could put out a Sunday dinner like Grandma's. Then the adults would play cards. My two sisters and I would play with all the cousins. Not nearly as many cousins as we have gathering but still a bunch for lunch. It was a family tradition and you were not allowed to break tradition.

My wife remembers pretty much the same when she was raising her four children. It was tradition to show up at her mom's for a big Sunday meal. If not every week at least for all holidays and birthday celebrations. Sometimes your nucleus family was torn between needing to be at two big family traditions at the same time. Your side of the family and your spouse's.

This dilemma was what prompted her to suggest we start hosting our taco night. As her children started having families of their own, she didn't want them to be torn between two sides or be obligated to show up on Sundays to appease her desire to see everyone. They could come over for taco night whenever they could make it. No hard feelings if they couldn't come and it relieved them of feeling obligated to spend their Sundays at Mom's.

My wise wife only requested that the other side of their families respected our night and didn't plan big events to conflict with that night. For the most part that has remained maintainable. Not perfect all the time, but workable.

Why tacos? Three-fold. It was a favorite meal her mother made frequently so she knew how to make tacos when she claims she can't cook otherwise worth a nickle. If you saw my girth you would know that's not true. Except maybe when they are really young, everyone likes tacos and you can feed a crowd or a few. It was something I could pitch in and help with. (See the carnage dished out to the vegetables.)

We started this idea when the three grandchildren who will soon turn twenty were two-years-old. That's eighteen blessed years of sharing and creating memories. Family bonding on steroids.

Great thing is now if we can't have our regular taco night they miss it or one of them will volunteer to host.

What is sad is the grands are starting to scatter. Maybe that won't matter. The memories of this new tradition have been implanted in their hearts and in ours.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have a pillow fight challenge. But first...Tacos!