"Stilwel, angel, have another chocolate bar"! Since I've had kids, this classic line from 'A League Of Their Own', has become one of my favorites. Meal time at our house is definitely one of the times I am most tempted to take the easier way out!
The image in my head of our meal times, is by far, one of the most hilariously different experiences than what is currently our reality. The image is awesome...
I have prepared a beautiful platter of some sort of roast duck (I'm not even kidding...duck!)...with an assortment of fresh, bright vegetables on the side...and of course, this is all served on delicately fine china.... We're always having these in-depth conversations full of laughter and "witty banter".... Get the basic picture?
Uummm, yeah... Ok, several things are wrong with this image right off the bat. First and foremost- my children are 18 months and 3 years old, so the wittiest our banter gets these days, is my daughter voicing her very strong opinion regarding her desire to have cocoa puffs for dinner, and then my husband and I attempting to offer our rebuttal to the cocoa puff argument. "No, cocoa puffs are just for a snack. Mommy made this delicious dinner and... yes you already said you don't want chicken...no it is not yucky, you haven't even tried a bite yet...Ayla, get back in your chair...we will help you take a bite, and you will see that you like....hey- back...in...your...chair. Now open your mouth and try- do...not...gag, you haven't even tasted it yet." (That's right- my 3 year old has a gag reflex which she uses quite convincingly, on a regular basis.)
And second...duck? I have never had duck in my life, so why the heck is that what's on the serving platter in my head? My mother never made duck. I've never had duck in a restaurant; and to the best of my knowledge, not one of my ten cookbooks has a recipe for duck. Actually, I guess it may not even be duck...maybe it's pheasant or something (which, I've also never tasted). The thing is, what's on the platter in my head is not nearly as prominent as the overall feeling this image projects. Peace, refreshment, connection- these are the things I expect from dinnertime at our house.
The thing is, since children have a tendency to grow up, I know that my reality will eventually catch up to the vision in my head. We will eventually get to sit through meals where the question, "Can I be done now?", is not heard every minute, but I know that if I don't find a way to enjoy these moments, I will regret it!
So, we continue to sit down to dinners, while "helping" my daughter to stay in her seat, and we do occasionally get a few bites of actual nutrition into her. However, I must confess, we do have Mac-n-cheese much more often than I ever thought possible, and while I don't think I have yet resorted to chocolate bars or cocoa puffs for dinner, I certainly have been known to whip up a batch of french toast because I know it will make for a pleasant dining experience. (No judging)
So for all you wonderful mothers, whose children do not fully appreciate the culinary masterpieces you present to them day in and day out,....well, I was going to try to come up with some very wise and proven advice here...but I have none.
I just do know that you are great mothers. I know you love your children and want the absolute best for them, so I will just assure you that no matter what challenges motherhood presents, you can do it!...And also that the occasional bowl of cocoa puffs for dinner is actually not the end of the world.
Oh...and if anyone has a great recipe for roast duck, can you make sure I get it?
Um, last night I had Ethan help me make chicken and spinach quesadillas. He ate the chicken and cheese while "we" were making them, got all excited about the dips (sour cream and salsa), and then would not touch them when they were on his plate. I had to bribe him with strawberries.
ReplyDeleteAs in, "want these 2 strawberries that I have cut up in front of you and placed in a bowl to tempt you? Yes? Okay then, take a bite of quesadilla. No, Ethan, take a bite and chew it up. It doesn't count if you spit it out." And he gagged too, while he was chewing it up.
You are not alone. :-)
Haha! Stilwel, angel, have a chicken quesadilla!
ReplyDeleteWe eat a lot of mac and cheese here, too. I've learned several mix-in variations that spice it up a little: tuna, diced tomatoes and canned chicken, and of course the ever-present hotdog! Kam's not a picky eater generally, but he'll eat anything if it involves hotdogs! :-D The image in the your head sounds like a Norman Rockwell picture... :-)
ReplyDeleteHello holl-mommy:) I don't have any recipes for "Duck" and have never eaten it to my knowledge but Mac n cheese is a staple still in my house and also those chicken nuggets. Sad part is my son is now 14 and although I thought for sure his skin would be that strange shade of "orange-yellow" customized by Kraft brand (the only brand he will eat by the way) He is by far the trimmest healthiest one in the family LOL!! Maybe we should look a little closer at the benefits as he is also a very talented athlete.
ReplyDeleteYou are right to say it goes by so quickly and even though it's never the perfect picture we imagined motherhood to be...Still it is an amazing journey with picture perfect moments that create memories of love, laughter and yes "French Toast" for dinner sometimes!(sounds wonderful to me)Don't get to caught up in those "pictures" they will steal the moments that are precious...Hang in there it gets even more interesting I promise:)
Oh...I am so glad to know that they will not turn that "orange-yellow" color! Hahaha! I do get the feeling that (possibly), when I look back at these times, I will remember it as perfection. So, in the meantime, I will continue to try not to stress that I am putting my children's entire physical, psychological and educational future in jeopardy since they are having mac-n-cheese for the 3rd time this week.
ReplyDeleteAnd I will introduce hot dogs again, cause it couldn't hurt.....:)