Skip to main content

Dinner Time

There are a lot of moments in parenting that I truly enjoy, but dinner time is definitely one of my favorites.  The research is true...

"The statistics are clear: Kids who dine with the folks are healthier, happier and better students..."
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200760,00.html#ixzz1LRLHS3Au

And I think they forgot to mention how much FUN family dinners are, especially with the Boyen Bunch involved.  We have nearly ever dinner as a family dinner, with the occasional night missing John due to a project or me due to an outing, but those are few and far between.  This weeks dinner's have been memorable. 

Monday:  Mini meatloaf, over roasted potatoes and corn.  John didn't join us till near the end of the meal due to a home improvement project, which required a quick trip to Home Depot.  The interactions between Bailey and Lorelei had me laughing so incredibly hard that I actually cried, which then really confused Lorelei!  Bailey's sense of comedic timing can be impeccable!  But honestly, you would have had to been there to "get it".  I think even John thought I was "losing" it when he got home...something about mommy having a break down!!  It all started when the family of deer who live in our yard were eating out of the deer feeder, at the same time as we were.  Lorelei didn't want to scare them away, so she was whispering to everyone to "Use a quiet boice".  No it's not a typo...she says boice!  Bailey chimed it with his silliness...every time Lorelei said "shhhhh",  he and his tween humor would say "it".  And man would it make Lorelei mad!!!  Inappropriate...sure, but funny just the same!!

Tuesday:  Dinner out at local burger joint called Babes, Old Fashioned Food.  Lorelei's 4th birthday dinner,  to boot...KIDS EAT FREE!!!  Started outside...got too cool, so we headed back in, which made Jonas mad.  He gave me evil eyes and was planning to just be difficult.  Food arrives and now he's mad cause Bailey is sitting on one side of me and the birthday girl on the other. Plus, Bailey stole a french fry and FYI, you DO NOT take food from Jonas.  It's his passion, his love...this boy eats with sheer delight and  no one better mess with his food.   I feel a couple eyes staring at us from a nearby table, a slightly older couple...feeling a bit judged about how I'm handling Jonas and his anger fit.  So, as the food arrives and John gets it situated, I take Jonas outside and have a "talk".  He pulls it together, we head back in and dinner proceeds.  The couple with the staring eyes get up to leave and actually comment to us about having 4 kids!  "Wow your brave, 4 kids!" says the husband to John. I answer "some days are hard, some days are easy!"  We finish with conversation about Bailey's camp at the middle school and other happenings of the day and head home to cupcakes and "Happy birthday to Lorelei!".

Wednesday:  Roasted whole chicken, mash potatoes and corn on the cob (OK, similar to Monday's, but the kids love corn and potatoes!).  The nicest part was that John made the whole dinner with Savannah's help!  She set the table and put tiny red flowers in with the silverware, that was nicely wrapped in the napkin.  While this was going on, I did something I NEVER do...took a short nap!! How nice! The conversation was again about the happenings at school, and how Solar cars (an after school enrichment program I help run, that Bailey is in and Savannah helps with) is coming along and just general chit chat about our day.  Lorelei chimes in that she HATES the green stuff in her potatoes (chives) and Bailey tells her she hates everything and should stop hating things.  She slyly and quietly says under her breath "You hole".  Yes, she called her brother a "hole".  She then asks me "Is hole a bad word mommy?", "Not exactly Lorelei, but it certainly was not a nice thing to call your brother."  John says, "Hey, that's pretty good...think I 'll start calling people holes!"  GREAT! 

It's only Wednesday, wonder what the rest of the dinners this week will bring!!??  Never a dull moment, huh!?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Feeling a little salty...

  It may not look like I'm feeling a little salty in this picture, but  I was. It's June, and summer vacation had just started. All the chaos of May had me feeling a little tired, and I was experiencing what I thought was mild back pain from sciatica. I had noticed a few spots on my back and leg that looked like bug bites. Savannah was over, and we were about to head out to the pool when she noticed a crazy rash on my leg. She FaceTimed my mom, who said it looks like shingles?!?! John didn't agree and thought there was no way. Savannah insisted I go to urgent care. What do you know...I did have shingles. As soon as I mentioned how busy my month had been, that I was a teacher, had a Senior graduating, etc. The doctor said stress is one of the biggest causes of shingles. I was lucky this sweet girl of mine made me go get checked out. I was able to start meds and caught it early.  I did not have time for shingles! Hence the saltiness. That same week was Lorelei's high scho...

The days are long...

...but the years are short. I've always loved the saying. One of my favorite authors and podcasters, Gretchen Rubin, is credited as the original author of this quote. I always think about it when another year passes. This year was fast and furious, as I have found all the years to be since my kids became teenagers. It seems like every time I turn around, there's another graduation, major milestone, or life achievement by one of my kids. 2024 had a high school graduation, college graduation, three moves from home to college, from college back to town, from across town, back to home. And the dust hasn't completely settled yet. Gretchen Rubin has another saying now that her kids are grown. Instead of an empty nest, she calls it an "Open Door." I love that too. My door will always be open to my kids and their friends, as it seems like there's always an extra somebody at our house too. It's one of my favorite times.  Thanksgiving break brought some new friends ...

Relax...

  January came and went,  (even though it felt like forever.) February is nearly over. I haven't felt like writing, sharing, or posting. Nothing secretive or special going on, I've just been living in my own space and moments. A new year feels precious and extraordinary, even if winter feels hard, I want to savor these cozy moments. The next six months will be challenging, as I face more milestones with my Boyen Bunch. These last two months have been a time for me to brace myself for the excitement ahead.  Once Spring break hits, the rest of the school year flies by, and before we know it...well, you know how that goes. By the end of 2025, my nest will be empty.  I'm not a fan of the "new year, new me" concept, because I am a continuous work in progress. I can't start over every year. But the one thing I know I need to work on is relaxing . That's why this year, my word of the year is to relax. This blog post is a prime example.  I give myself a deadline ...