Dinner time disasters!

Ok, when does it get better?  Cause I'll be honest, it's hit or miss around here.

I like dinner time...or I used to before kids.  Some days dinner is a nice little part of my day, where I get to chat up my kids as they eat the dinner I have prepared for them without complaint. 

Most days though, well, it's crazy, complaining chaos. 

Now, I know kids in this age range tend to be picky.  And I get that.  I am also a picky eater, so I do understand.  So having said that, I get frustrated when I KNOW that the love a meal and all of a sudden they don't like it, it "feels yucky" in their mouth, they hate it and so on and so forth. 

I guess my expectation of a dinner where we all sit down and eat and talk and laugh is, at least for now, unattainable. 

"You know I don't like carrots, mom, or did you forget?"  Tessa 9/23/12

"What is this smooshy thing mom?  Ewww."  Elijah 9/23/12 (It was a potato)

"Mom, what is this?  It looks weird?"  Ava 9/23/12 (It was pie crust)

In Ava's defense, she did eat hers, she just had to ask what everything was first. 

I guess I'm just delusional to expect a semi calm dinner.  And that got me to thinking...(what?!?)

I wonder what Jesus was like as a little boy.  I so desperately wish to know if he ever told his mom he didn't like something when she served him dinner.  I also wonder if as a baby he was a crier or colicky or otherwise painful in the ways new babies can be...sleep?  Anyone?  Did he whine when he was a 3 year old???

No, I don't want perfect children.  Because to be honest, some of their funniest moments happen in not-so-perfect times.  I love seeing how their brains work and how they figure things out.  I love watching their ears smoke and I can hear their gears winding when they are trying to figure out how to get around me on something.  Most of all, I love how they love me, their very imperfect mother, always.  How, despite the fact that they did not want to eat the homemade chicken pot pie I made them, they all left the table, cleared their dishes and told me thank you for dinner.  I love that even when they choose to go to bed hungry (our policy is eat dinner at dinner time or eat nothing until breakfast) because I didn't make exactly what they wanted for dinner, they hug me and kiss me and love me. 

I love that after being disciplined, the one person that they want to soothe them is me!  The same person that just handed out that same discipline. 

I often second guess my parenting, my judgement and even my words that I use towards my children.  Everyday I could certainly have done better, lots better.  But everyday those sweet (and yes, exhausting) little people tell me they love and that I am the "best mommy ever!"

Kind of makes my dream dinners not seem so important...

Doesn't mean I won't stop striving for them though!  We have someone different say a prayer every night at dinner and this is what they say almost verbatim every single night:

"Dear Jesus, thank you for my family and for our food. Amen"

So let me just say:

"Dear Jesus,
Thank you for my family!  My "I-don't-want-to-eat-carrots-smooshy-potatoes-weird-looking-meal" children.  Thank you for their tender hearts, loving spirits, humorous actions and brilliant minds.  Thank you for a husband that is an amazing father to them and a selfless husband to me.  I am spoiled and I thank you for it!  I thank you for my life.  It's not always easy or fun, but it is always rewarding. Amen"

"P.S. Please make them eat!"