When I picked Joey up from school today he asked me if he could go to a friend's house. I said he could but that he had to be home by 6:30 because we were all going to sit down for dinner together.
This is something we used to do regularly before I began treatments. Now, unfortunately, this is pretty rare for our family. We have become a group of "grab and go" or "eat at the kitchen island" people. I do not like this at all and am trying to get us back to regular, or at least not infrequent, family dinners at the table. Of course, this requires energy, something I have been lacking more often than not over the past six months.
The kids, for some reason I cannot understand at all, hate it when we all sit down for dinner together. They fight this tooth and nail, and complain loudly whenever they hear it might be on the horizon. I, on the other hand, think it's great. We all talk about our days, what's going on, and things that are coming up.
Tonight I made, literally, the ONLY dish that everyone in our family likes--Chicken Almendras (chicken in an almond and tomatillo sauce). I thought this might ease everyone back into family dinner.
When I told Joey we were having dinner together, his first comment was, "Awww, man!" Shortly after he added, "What are we having?" When I told him, he said it was almost worth it, but not quite.
After a few moments he asked, "Mom, when is your next treatment?" I answered, "Tuesday, why?" He grinned and didn't say anything, so it dawned on me--I am too tired the week of treatment to cook, so we are definitely not sitting down together for dinner on treatment weeks.
I laughed and said, "Do I have a little too much energy for you right now?" He admitted I did and then said, "But when you have treatment I don't have any clean clothes for a few days, so I don't know which is better."
Who knew that there was yet another unexpected benefit of my cancer, at least as far as my children are concerned--fewer family dinners! But maybe clean jeans trump it. Just maybe.
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3 comments:
Clean jeans wouldn't trump it until high school! Jr. high kids don't mind dirty jeans! :-) I know for our family it has been harder and harder to sit down to the table for a family dinner just do to schedules, being too busy, and running in different directions. I definitely want to get back to sitting down all together but then when we do, I get the complaining of the meal, a meltdown from a child, and the list goes on. So it's not just your house!
Btw....can you email me the recipe that EVERYONE in your family likes. I don't think I have a recipe that everyone in my family likes and doesn't complain about.
Oh my goodness, I am laughing SO hard right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -AO
I love Joey's perspective on things. He cracks me up. Hoping the treatment goes well today and continues to provide healing. My thoughts and prayers and with you today.
Speaking of the family favorite though, Becca asked just last week - when would I be making that same recipe. I guess I need to get my act together to get it done. Maybe tonight.
Love you lots.
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