family dinner

I know that a traditional family dinner doesn’t work for everyone but it is something that we have always done and I look forward to it every day (well most days)!!!

I don’t set a formal table

but I do set the table (or the boys set it for us!!) every night.

Not fancy but it works – we use cloth napkins because I grew up using them and I like them at dinner.

Most nights I put the meal on the table and we self serve or pass bowls around.

We have had some of the best conversations ever during dinner. Everyone is happy because they are being fed and it is a great time to talk about the day.

We had the boys at the table with us when they were still in high chairs. (When it was just Chris and I we didn’t always eat at the table – the couch worked perfectly fine!!!)

Some nights we dish the food (soup in this case) from the stove and just have any sides on the table.

I try to keep things simple so that it isn’t an ordeal because I want it to be something that we all enjoy and look forward to.

We used to have a rule that whoever cooked didn’t clean. When the boys were really young I changed it because working in the kitchen cooking and cleaning was my quiet time (Chris would play with the boys downstairs). Now the boys usually handle most of the clean-up!!

I know that if I’m not home for dinner Chris and the boys usually watch TV while they eat which is fine. Some nights we have to watch important stuff – the end of The Masters, part of the NCAA basketball tournament……but mostly we leave the TV off while we eat.

Some nights we can’t all sit together because of different activities. But, the majority of the time all 4 of us (or 3 if someone is gone) sit down and eat dinner together while we share things about our day and/or solve all the problems in the world!!!

The carton isn’t typical for our dinners but it made me laugh!!!

Do you have family dinners regularly?
Do you use cloth napkins?

Happy Wednesday!!!

Kim

Today I used my favorite piece of equipment (again!) –

For the 44 I did a plank with my toes on the BOSU.

I alternated stepping one foot off –

then back on and the other foot off.

I counted a right and left step-off as 1 rep. About half-way through the 44 I started thinking that I should have timed it so I could see how long I stayed in plank – oh, well – I know it was long enough that my arms were shaking!!!

I decided to run again today. I’m enjoying just running to run again!!! I did 6 miles in 44:19 at 1.5% incline and then 2.25 more miles at a super easy pace.

Lately, for some reason, I feel a little off-kilter. I think it is a combination of the things that I need to get done and all of the extra activities the boys have this year.

We have always had family dinner – typically around 6:00pm – this is a great way to reconnect after being out and about all day. Lately, it is rare for everyone to be able to eat at the same time – I feel like we eat in pairs. This past week we only had dinner together 2 times!!! (Hooray for my crock pot so that dinner is ready at multiple times!!!)

Lately, our dining room table is just a mess. It is my home “office” and the piles are driving me insane. The problem is, my list keeps growing but my motivation is not keeping up with the To-Dos!!!

Last night I was home alone for the entire evening and I didn’t do a single productive thing – I watched mindless TV (have you seen that 4 Secret Princes Show?), spent hours playing on my laptop (not work stuff!!!), added more blogs to my feed (not sure why since I can barely keep up with the ones I already had!!).

So, I guess I will make another list for the day and hope that today is the day I actually make some progress and get back on track!!!

And, I always add stuff after I do it just for the happiness that comes from seeing stuff marked off!!!