Scenes from Making Dinner

Here's the thing about dinner time...it's stressful. It's crazy and chaotic, and sometimes fun too. Last night as I was having a particularly stressful evening (my fault for trying to do bread at the same time as dinner which involved homemade tortillas for the fajitas so it looked like someone dropped an atomic flour bomb in our kitchen), I had the thought that these nights need to be recorded so I can remember it later. I know it won't always be like this, but here is what it is for now.

I think all babies have a "fussy time", and Kelsey has decided that right when it's time to start making dinner is the best time to be fussy. So she's usually crying 90% of the time. She just wants to be held, and I do try to hold her for whenever I'm able to only use one hand, or an awkward two. But a lot of the time I'm quickly setting her down on the floor or couch, running back to what I was doing, then hurrying over to pick her up when I get a second, etc. So kind of like a chicken running around with her head cut off. I might even try to feed her if I can sneak in the chance, it depends on what's for dinner.

Madison usually wakes up from her second nap towards the beginning of when I'm making dinner. So I go get her out of her crib and bring her upstairs. If I set her down, she will cry and cling to my legs, and follow me around, and start fights with her siblings, and just cause problems. So I have to stick her in her high chair and give her something to snack on, or color.

Brynlee usually likes to be in there with me, snacking on things as I make it. Or she'll be up at the sink "washing dishes" and making a big watery mess. But she's very happy there, so I don't mind. One day she even brought up her rubber duckies from the bath tub because "it was like a bath tub for the dishes". I often have her help set the table with Tyler.

Tyler is a great help, trying his darndest to keep Kelsey happy while I'm busy. He tries repeatedly to get her to take her pacifier, and he sings to her songs that he's making up on the spot. It's really sweet, but sometimes I could do without the extra noise. He loves being a big helper though, and doesn't mind helping to set the table as well.

I wish I could say that everything is peaceful and clean, and that Kenny walks in the door right as I'm setting a beautiful meal on the table. But he is never home for dinner thanks to his longer hours ever since we moved here. We're all so excited when he gets here that it is anything but peaceful (the clean house part is more of a joke around here than a reality). The kids barely give him the chance to eat, and there's usually at least one child on his lap while he does eat.

But ya know, I don't think I'd have it any other way :).