May You Go In Peas

I don't eat with my kids.

I know this is bad, and not conducive to a good family environment, etc....and sometimes we do all sit down at the table together and have a meal for supper (like 2 times a week), but I never, ever, ever eat breakfast or lunch with the kids.

I just like to eat in peace, what can I say?

My kids are very picky eaters so every meal is a battle of wills (I usually win, but it is exhausting and not good for digestion). I always forget the ketchup, or spoon or chocolate syrup for the milk so I spend half the meal jumping up and down to get more stuff, or making them get up and get it, which takes twice as long. Since they eat next to nothing they are finished eating by the time I stir the milk and get back to the table. Then Kinley is screaming for her bib to be off and crying because we are trying to make her eat *gasp* macarroni and cheese.

Don't get me wrong. My children are perfectly lovely if you feed them Hamburger Helper, pepperoni pizza, pancakes, french fries or hot dogs. But try to serve them a potato, any vegetable besides corn or a casserole and you'll have a revolt on your hands. They don't even like sloppy joes, for goodness sake. And they're flexible on the chocolate milk too. They'll drink strawberry milk or even Kool-Aid. But heaven forbid I serve water...or worse....plain milk. Of course we do make them eat and drink all of these things, and at 9 years old, Ryker has finally figured out that he might as well eat it and save himself the agony of sitting at the table for hours. Cainan and Kinley still think they can wear us down. (It might be working.)

So, I just eat while they are asleep.

I eat my breakfast before they get up, or after the boys go to school, but before Kinley gets up. I eat lunch only after Kinley has had her lunch and been put in bed for a nap. (I won't even tell you the lengths I go to in order to have a snack that I don't have to share.) And at supper, I get them all set and then take my plate in to the living room and sit in a nice comfy chair and let Brian deal with the supper turmoil while I eat a nice leisurely meal. It's a luxury I only get on the nights when Brian is home to eat with us, and I really enjoy it.

So....a few nights ago I was sitting in the living room eating my grilled chicken breast, baked potato and sweet corn when Brian committed the unforgivable sin. He let Kinley out of her high chair before I was done eating! She of course came in and started climbing up on to the back of the chair where I was sitting and pulling my hair, standing on my shoulders, etc. I said, in a not very nice way, "Go away and let me eat in peace!"

She replied, in the sweetest voice, "Mommy, that no peas. That corn." (pronounced 'cahrn' like a little southern girl).