Family Dinner

Don't get me wrong - I'm a big fan of the family dinner. For one thing, Dave's our cook - if we relied on ME well, we'd all starve probably.

However, some of the time, I just hope to survive the family dinner and don't dare reach for such heights as to enjoy it!

First there is the time prepping the dinner. Four kids, the older ones needing help with their homework, Dad coming home and needing to get cooking, the younger ones tuning up for their grouchy/hyperactive time right before bed. Not exactly a recipe for success.

So, provided we even manage to get the dinner on the table in a timely manner, then of course, there is eating time. Or, should I say the whining time. With six people, one who watches sugars & carbs, another who watches the fat, another that is super-picky with odd tastes, another who prefers meat & carbs, another who refuses to eat meat and a toddler who screeches and gets some food into her mouth but more on the ceiling, floor, table, hair etc it's near impossible to pick out something for dinner that doesn't upset at least ONE member of the clan.

Dinner is chaotic at best, with hyper children all sharing at once and just two tired parents wondering when will it be bedtime? At worst, its whining and crying from one or two about do they REALLY have to eat this? Still, when you manage to survive, its nice to be all together, to hear the stories and catch up on each others' days, and to laugh and enjoy each other -- if only we could survive on pizza every night!!

Tonight is flaffel - believe it or not, something that is low carb, sugar and fat (if you bake them!), loved by the picky eater, loved by the one who doesn't eat meat and enough to fool the one who loves it (just like a meatball, right???), and plenty messy for the toddler. Looking forward to a fabulous dinner - at least tonight!