Friday night is pizza night in the Bicknell house. It’s a tradition since I can’t remember when. I think even before we had children, we did the pizza thing. Then I only had to make one, tonight it was five. Enough for us all and some leftovers to eat Saturday lunch time. If I deviate from Friday night pizza I have to give everyone a very good reason as it’s so ingrained into our weekend habits.

Saturday night used to be takeaway curry night, but that has been knocked on the head since moving here. I have considered writing to all our favourite Indian takeaway restaurants around Lancing and Worthing in West Sussex and suggesting they relocate to our part of Eastern Canada. Whoever came first would make a fortune as there’s no competition in this city. I think I may have said this in a blog before and the situation hasn’t changed since then, but I have got better at making my own as a substitute, thanks to some great Jamie Oliver recipes and Anjum Anand’s Naan bread.

Many of our family traditions include food. I think because that’s when we spend time all together – when we’re round the table eating a meal. It’s one of those things that we’ve tried not to lose even when life is busy. Tim has always had a job where he leaves very early in the morning, so we have rarely ever eaten breakfast at the same time, not to mention that some of us are not morning people at all. Our evening meal is our catch up time. No television, no devices. The most laughter happens round the table and the most discussions. Silly talk, serious talk. Occasionally the biggest arguments. There are times when we eat and go, and times when we sit around for an hour or more.

There are more times these days when everyone is not home to eat. That is only going to happen more as the older ones move onto college. It’s hard to get used to that idea, so I’m all the more glad for making it a priority.