Our lives have gotten so busy that we have not been having dinner together very often here lately. In fact, I have not done much cooking myself. I have been buying foods that are easy for the kids or for Allen to make when I am not available to make dinner. Macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, boxed pastas and noodles, take and bake pizzas, etc. Or the kids and I will grab a sandwich while we are out. Or I make dinner late when we get home, which pushes back bedtime to too late.
I used to make dinner every night. I love sitting with my family and eating and talking together. I remember always having family dinner together when I was a child. Every night. No matter how busy us kids were, or how busy my parents were. There was always a hot meal on the table. And before 8:00 pm too.
I realized this past week just how much my not cooking has affected my children. It made me sad.
The kids were off school on Monday for a Teacher In-service. Tristan and Savannah had orthodontist appointments at 10:30 am. Before we left, knowing it would be a busy day, I threw together a crock-pot gumbo so that dinner could be cooking while I was running all over during the day.
After I brought everyone home, I turned right back around to take Savannah and her friend to see Le Miserables, a promise I had made to her, to take her to see the movie on the day off school. I actually had planned on dropping Tristan and Savannah at the movies and picking them up later, but Tristan did not do everything he was supposed to do so he had to stay home. I really wanted to stay home and do a few things, but I had promised she could see it, so I had to take her.
We got home from the movies at 4:30 and I cut up all the chicken in the gumbo. I started a pot of rice on the stove, which finished cooking before I left at 5:30 to take Ethan to soccer. Jackson rode with me and we went to the library to return some books.
As I was getting back to the soccer field to pick up Ethan, I got a text from Tristan. It read, "Is the gumbo for us?" My first thought was, "Silly. Who else would the gumbo be for?" I replied, "Yes. Eat up. Rice is on stove."
Then I started thinking. He must have thought I made dinner for another family. Someone who was sick or had something else going on and needed a meal. I guess they have gotten so used to me not making meals and eating together, and even though we were not eating together that night, they still were not sure I had made the gumbo for us.
I really need and want to get back to having dinner together every night. Now that Tristan can drive, I think it will be a lot easier to accomplish. I was really looking forward to making dinner last night and tonight, but one of the kids lost the key to the freezer, so we don't have access to the freezer and all the food in it. Allen made macaroni and cheese while I was out getting Tristan and Savannah from acting. Tonight the little boys seem content to eat ice cream and popcorn. Sounds good to me. I will have to check the cupboards.
I guess I will be heading back to the store to get some more things so that we can make dinner! We can try again tomorrow night.
