Ohmystinkinheck

The other night Jeff grilled up some fajita meat and veggies while Emelie warmed up the tortillas and set the table; Meredith and Kenny focused on staying out of the way–and I ran to the store for sour cream, guacamole (I know, homemade is BETTER, but we were hungry!), cheese, and tampons. What? You don’t buy tampons? EXACTLY.

Anyway, the kids wanted to eat out on the back porch because it was cool and y’know some nights just beg for dinner to be taken outside.

Kenny? He was cold. It was 70 degrees and the boy was cold enough to go back in the house and dig out a sweater from the back of his closet.

It really was rather humorous. I’m thinking my kids better stick around here for the rest of their lives because I daresay they wouldn’t make it much further north.

In case you don’t live in the southern part of Texas, let me help you understand how truly monumental it is to be able to eat on the back porch. There is a brief period of time (like two weeks) in Southeast Texas when the weather is absolutely divine. It comes right after that season some call winter, but we call “less-hot” and right before that season called summer, that we call “Swelter”. The mosquitos haven’t started to swarm, the flies are only just beginning to make an appearance, there is a faint hint of a breeze, the temperatures are in the high 40s in the morning, get to the high 70s in the day, and are around 65-70 in the evenings.

It.is.bliss.
And then?
It.is.gone.

Just that fast.

So outside we went with our dinner plates. We laughed, talked too loud, laughed even louder and lingered longer than we should have on a school night. The kids got their clean feet and bottoms blackened by the trampoline right before running inside and climbing into their clean white sheets.

It was glorious.
Even if one of’em nearly had to be carried inside. Like I said…we went a little late.

16 Responses to “Today’s forecast…100% chance of back porch dining.”

1. Rhi

   So, what time should I be over for dinner tonight? :)

2. jessica

   Oh Kenny. We woke up to three inches of snow over here. Come on over for dinner by the fire.

3. Lisa C

   How fun! Glad that y’all were able to have some good quality family time! :)

4. naomi

   :) he’s so cute :)

   the mosquitoes are why i want to have a screened in porch when i get my very own house. i also want it on the east side of the house, that way it only gets morning sun and in afternoon it’s cooler in the shade. i do that because mosquitoes come from neighbouring towns and farms to nosh on me.

5. Mr. OMSH

   Naomi,

   Mosquitoes are an inherent part of life…like paying for water and paying too many taxes. They just suck, literally. And can spread some diseases. But that, I’m sure, is another post.

6. Belinda

   We’re enjoying that brief time right now, too, though our mosquitoes are already OUT. Egads.

7. Jen

   We live in San Diego and I was recently offered a promotion which would require us to move to Texas. Sure we’d go! Sounds divine! Look at the awesome houses we could buy on HUGE tracks of land!! But then, my husband checked the average summer temperatures and all bets were OFF.

   We have no mosquitoes here and the temperatures range from 50 - 80, year round. Still, I could see moving to Texas. I like the look of cowboy boots and I’d love to get ponies for our kids…

8. Mandy

   Awesome. I love the way you describe winter as less-hot. That is hilarious! Looks like a great time!

9. Kristi

   Texas is beautiful this time of year! East Texas is extra beautiful with the Bluebonnets blooming. We get the same thing in west Texas, without the humidity of east Texas.

10. Sue at eLuckypacket

    Sweet!

11. BOSSY

    When Bossy’s kids were smaller, they wouldn’t know it was the end of dinner unless someone went face down in their mashed potatoes.

12. Shannon

    Oh I am laughing! 70 degrees and he is cold? Up here we run around with short sleeves on at 60 degrees. 50 I need a light sweater or jacket!
    Dinning out, as we call it at our house, has not hit yet. Our dinning out usually start around the 15th of May and goes all summer. We eat later meals around 7pm so it is a bit cooler. MY kids love to eat breakfast outside in the summer time. They grab a bowl of cereal and head out back and watch the world come alive. Amazing enough there is no talking. I live for those days! Can’t wait for them to come!
    Enjoy your very brief spring, or ahhhh nice days!

13. nancypants

    Ahhh… It does sound divine. You are bringing back Texas memories. I do remember that season (and explaining it to others the way you do!) LOL

    On monday here it was a GLORIOUS high of 69 degrees and we reveled in it. We do have many wonderful nights like that during the summer but Spring is so painfully long in coming. We are barely seeing grass turn green and plants rising from the dead of winter’s grasp. I can’t wait for color… color is about two weeks away (and usually snow still sneaks up another time or two in May but we don’t care because it goes away.)

    Thanks for making me feel like I was there. I will pray for your souls during the swelter season… As cold as it gets here in Canada… I don’t think I could really do Texas summers again. (((shudder)))

14. Amanda

    I love this! We sneak out to our porch to have dinner when the weather is nice too. It’s very relaxing to eat in the twilight and listen to the crickets. But like you we have precious few evenings when we can do this. Florida gets ridiculously hot too :-(

    I’m so glad to hear that your family spent some quality time together.

15. Amy

    Your Kenny sounds like my Max. We live near Las Vegas so it gets HOT here, too. Max is always complaining he’s cold and wearing big, heavy coats when we think it is lovely outside! He wouldn’t survive in much colder places!

16. moosh in indy.

    Maybe Texas does have one up on Indiana. Maybe.