So today, I decided to have dinner at our dining room table. Finn and I cooked dinner together; he cracked the eggs and scrambled them while I chopped tomatoes and heated up the skillet. Then he and Zachary shared a stool to watch as I sauteed the garlic, then the tomatoes and then the spinach (wish I could have gotten a picture of that, but there was no way I was leaving the two of them next to the open flames for even a second!), and supervised as I poured the eggs on top.
I then had just enough time to fix everyone's fruit and drinks before the frittata was done, all the while dealing with a fussy toddler who wanted to be held, but then got mad when I picked him up.
Then we all sat down together to eat as a family. Finn declared the dinner delicious. Zachary tried hard to use his fork. Finn and Zach "talked" to each other as we ate, and Finn talked more to me than usual when he realized that Zach was paying attention. I was really surprised at how much fun it was for all of us. There are going to be days where it's just not practical, or that I'll need to move them back to the kitchen to finish up while I clean up, but we're definitely going to do it more often.
Though hopefully next time it won't end with Zachary spilling Finn's very full glass of milk all over the floor and then slipping in it.
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I dream of the day the boys and I can sit down at the dining room table and eat together. I feel like this is some years away, though. Kudos for doing it!
ReplyDeleteIt's cool that you noticed the phenomenon and then changed things so you could get a new result. Here's to many more meals around the table (with fewer glasses of spilled milk).
ReplyDeleteIt's funny because Sidekick gets very upset if I don't sit at the table with him for meals. I'm usually trying to multitask, but I've realized that this time is very precious to him, and he will remind me over and over again to sit and eat with him. Sounds like your boys feel the same way. And yes, Sidekick spills his milk at least one per week. : )
ReplyDeleteThat is so nice! I started insisting on family dinners more when we went on vacation this past summer and I realized my kids couldn't sit through dinner, and other kids could. We do it most nights now, and J is getting better at table manners. It's frustrating that it hasn't really turned into quality family time like I'd like, though. He still mainly sees it as something pulling him away from playing. Hopefully we'll get there!
ReplyDeleteDeborah
So wonderful!! Elsie and I have had the opposite experience. We have been staying at my mom's who has a counter in her apartment and we have eaten together more because of it. IN my old place, the table was too out of the way so we didn't eat at it. Instead we sat in front of the tv. So I quickly redesigned my apartment to add a counter to sit at for the two of us for every day.
ReplyDeleteUm hello, Amazing Super Mom! How do you do it all (cook, supervise Finn helping, take care of a fussy toddler at the same time)??? I'm in awe. And that meal looks delicious. I'm going to have to try that soon!
ReplyDeleteso jealous that your kids eat frittata!
ReplyDeletealso, sounds like a wonderful evening!
Last fall I transformed our formal living room into a dining room. The open plan dining/family room/kitchen area just wasn't working for family meals. Too many distractions and reminders of unfinished activities. Long story short, having a dedicated space for eating dinner has changed our days, in a good way. (But there's still a lot of spilled milk.)
ReplyDeleteI love it! Well done, Momma!
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