Sunday night family night…

I remember when we were kids and “Sunday night Disney” turned into “Sunday night Little House on the Prairie.”

I’m sure it didn’t bother my folks…leaving “Chip and Dale” behind to watch a show on family values, love, friendship and faith. Half Pint and Mary running from the house and through the fields to meet their Pa. Ma churning butter and making homemade biscuits from their humble home in Walnut Grove.

It was a wonderful, heartfelt family show with the exception that you had to put up with Nellie being an absolute brat, her father constantly hen-pecked, multiple horrific events like Mary going blind, Albert becoming addicted to morphine, Mr. Edwards’ drinking problem, various children dying including a fire at the blind school that took the life of Mary’s baby and was someone really assaulted by a mime?

You know, come to think of it, Little House on the Prairie was not the family show I thought it was!

Anyway, my point is, a few years ago on Sunday nights, me and the kids started watching “Heartland” on CBC. It became our “thing.” A wonderful, lovely way to “regroup” at the end of a busy weekend and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every hokey episode reminding me of the multiple Sunday nights curled up in front of the TV with my own Ma and Pa!

Then this weekend, things changed with a “Mom, we’ve decided on a new ‘Sunday Family show’!” I mean really…how bad could it be going from “Chip and Dale” to “Half Pint!”

I get that the kids are maturing and they’d like to spice things up and maybe it was time for a new show but “The Walking Dead?” REALLY??

I’m all content and happy with horses and love and wee dramas that unfold on the family farm and they’re all “lets watch this zombie get his head chopped off!”

What happened to my children???

Sunday night we started with Season 1, Episode 1 of The Walking Dead. I spent half the show hiding behind the dog as my kids repeatedly stated “it’s only a show mom!” I’ve since been dragged unwillingly into the family room to watch three full episodes and they’re totally loving it anticipating the next show and I’m all “THIS AIN’T NO LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE PEOPLE!”

Or… maybe it’s just the modern-day version.

With a little more blood.

And a lot more zombie.