Friday, March 14, 2014

SOLSC #14 - Dinner is Ready...A Little Later Than Usual


I was reading a post from Julie on Raising Readers and Writers about cooking dinner which made me reflect on dinner at our house.

It is 5:15 and my kids walk into the kitchen and complain, "What?  You haven't even started dinner yet?"

My family is spoiled.  I did it!  I have no one to blame but myself.  Let me explain.

Twenty-one years ago, my husband and I decided that I would give up my first career and stay at home with our children.  This is a decision I have never regretted, but there are times now when I question my routine in our family mealtime.

My husband grew up with home cooked meals, desserts made from scratch, and meals on the table at 5:15.  I would not say he expected that of me.  It is just what I did because I loved him.  My family called me Betty Crocker because I baked all the time, and I wouldn't dare bake something from a box.  I cooked every night except Friday.  (That was pizza night from our first date and continues even today)  My husband came home at 5:15, and I had dinner on the table ready to go.  Even after I had my children, that was still our routine.

I have been working full time for seven years, and I still do most of those things.  Although my husband has taken over the baking, I still cook most nights except Fridays, and the meals are usually ready by 5:15.  I plan ahead and cook enough to last two nights.  I still consider heating up leftovers and adding a vegetable cooking, because it is not eating out!

Would I call them expectations now?  Absolutely...because they are spoiled.  I catered to them all these years and now that is what they expect.

The past three weeks we have extended our school day by one hour to make up for some of the snow days we have had this winter.  By the time all the students have been picked up, it is usually after 4:00.  That gives me a little over an hour to get my room picked up and things ready for the next day. Needless to say, dinner hasn't been on the table by 5:15, and there have been a few nights when I have been too tired to cook.

Lucky for me, my family has been flexible and has adjusted to our new dinner time.  I think they all have realized just how good they have had it all these years.

Now, I just give them "the look" and they turn around and wait until they hear me say, "Dinner is ready"...just a little later than usual.

11 comments:

  1. You are amazing and your family is spoiled, and loved. Lucky them.

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  2. That really amazes me. I'm not a cook at all and don't enjoy it. My poor family. :-( Yours is lucky!!

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  3. Applause to you for being so caring and cooking almost daily. Good for you to give them "the look" when needed. On most days I cook because I get home first. I have learned to announce in advance when I plan not to make dinner and someone else has to take over. My hubby and daughters have their signature dishes for those days. Pizza taste good to sometimes.

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  4. Dinner at 5:15?! I haven't even thought about what to have for dinner until way past that. Boy, do I feel lazy!

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  5. I better keep this slice far far away from my family! I hate cooking and leave that up to my dear husband to the dismay of my mom- who is just like you. I love this.

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  6. Dinnertime is getting harder around here too. Spring sports schedules for two kids has us resorting to fast food or take out dinners more often than we are used to - and my body is rebelling. Add to that a new work schedule for my husband - who is the family cook - and it adds up to CHAOS. Hope things run more smoothly at your end.

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  7. I love it!! I'm finding we have more and more in common. I stayed home for 8 years when our kids were little. Dinner was always on the table for them too and I baked a lot. (Still do). Everything from scratch. I have spoiled children too. :) Too bad we don't live closer to each other. We could take turns cooking and have a dinner co-op. :)

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  8. I love the fact that your husband took over the baking. I do the baking in our house. My wife laughs because when we were married I brought along my own cookbook and have been adding to it for 33 years.

    I did respond to your question about my post yesterday. I hope it got to you. If it didn't, I will repeat it here. Yes, it is a dog. It is seen better from a distance, but I couldn't get that far back to take the picture. - Bob

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  9. I try to cook most nights, too, and I generously plan to use leftovers--or planned overs as my mother calls them. I also make use of my crock pot. My husband would love dinner by 5:15, but the time has never been consistent. It's even later now that we've added on to our day, too. Friday night is still pizza night--but we make our own.

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  10. You are an amazing woman! I don't think we ever had a set dinner time. We always cooked; I still cook once or twice a week. It is amazing that you still have time to accomplish so much! What's for dinner tomorrow?

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  11. For us it is 7:30 ----- and my husband cooks or takes in these days.. KUDOS to YOU!

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