Getting out the China

Sophie and Lydia have been asking for 'glass' plates at suppertime.  The plastic princess plates are just not cuttin' it anymore.

And at breakfast Sophie needs a glass bowl for her cereal.  Plastic will not do.

The trouble was that the glass bowls and plates were all out of their reach.  I had them all in a higher cupboard above the counter.  All the plastic bowls and plates and cups were in a big drawer below the counter...perfect for their reach.

But this wasn't working anymore.

So I rearranged the big drawer...and got rid of the plastic plates....and I moved all the glass plates and bowls into the drawer.  Problem solved....they can get what they need.

But then I had an empty space in the cupboard above....what was I going to put in there?

I did something totally outrageous.

I got out the good china that I received as wedding gifts and put it in the cupboard.

For us to use.  Everyday.

When the older kids had their turn opening the cupboard, I loved the reactions.

"WHERE did these plates come from?"

"Are you going to let US use these?"

"I have never seen these plates before."

When we were married....nearly 17 years ago....I registered.  I went to Eganville.  I went into Star Set Jewellers and I picked out a china pattern and a silverware pattern for cutlery and a crystal pattern for glasses/stemware.  That's where everyone 'registered'.  I wasn't going to register because I figured what would I do with all that stuff anyway....but then people encouraged me to register....so I did.  It was a few years later that everyone started registering at Sears or the Bay...for all the regular household things that they needed....and to me that just makes much more sense.  But I didn't have that option at the time.

So we ended up with this beautiful set of china plates and I had no idea what to do with them.  I decided that they must only be used for special occasions.

That's a little bit anal.

I got them out for Johanna's baptism and then I hid them away again.

And they have been hidden away.....for nearly 17 years.

Until now.

Why did I not use them?....I have no idea.  But I just realized that if I don't use them someone else is eventually going to use them....and it won't end up being me....and that's just ridiculous because they are my plates!

AND I bought a box of assorted drinking glasses at an auction sale a few years ago.  I hadn't really looked in the box before I bought it but I was really pleased when I saw that a few of them were the cornflower pattern that my Grandma Helferty had.

So I sort of put those up where no one would really use them....because they were like my Grandma's.  But they weren't actually my Grandma's.  But they were being kept 'safe'.

That's a little bit anal.

Guess what?

I'm using those cornflower drinking glasses.

I don't what's gotten into me.....but I'm just walking on the wild side.

And I'm turning 40 this year....that might have something to do with it.

Brenda