We All Dine Alone

I have realized that my family does not eat together. We eat apart, at different times. Our dining is done alone.

The Kid eats his breakfast in the morning, about an hour after waking up. The Bebe and I join him, but we do not eat. At least, I don't , except for the occasional piece of fruit scavenged off of The Kid's plate. The Husband sleeps. By lunchtime, The Husband will be up, and rummaging about making some meal. Whatever is made he will share with The Kid, who will sit at the table, and he will stand in the kitchen, eating like a starving man. At some point in the night either myself or The Husband will make dinner. This meal is, again, eaten in separate places. The fact that every day we miss, on average, three chances to sit together and have conversation, makes me more than a little sad. I feel like I am robbing my kids of a crucial experience, one that I always had growing up, which is the family meal. Yes, there was a time when I dreaded the lame-o family dinner, even though ours was conducted around a TV set instead of a table. We would sit as a family and talk and laugh and share a meal. It's funny to think that now I long for the thing I use to ridicule.

This is something that will be a challenge for our little family, especially because The Husband works so many late nights. My goal is for at least one meal a day to be enjoyed as a family. Whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, we need to connect over our meals. Eating together makes an event out of the ordinary. The Kid and The Bebe have to learn habits from somewhere, and I don't want their habits to always involve a drive through window. The Husband claims he loves crunchy granola hippie food, yet by that he means Taco Bell. This is food I would prefer my children not consume.

So today The Kid enjoyed fresh pineapple, cherries and yogurt (plus hotdog) for lunch,  and we had a nice vegan noodle meal from a local restaurant for dinner. Then he had McDonald's french fries and chicken nuggets, because he did so well with the tofu earlier, I just couldn't say no. It was a mixed meal day for The Kid, while I stuck to a strict vegan plan. We did manage to sit down for lunch, The Kid and I, but no meals as a family, since The Husband worked.  The next two days offer plenty of opportunity for me to attempt a family dinner, as we will all be home together.

Eventually this blog will become something. I will develop a voice and a clear vision for where this is headed. Until then, enjoy.