Dinner is Served

My dining room table is covered in laundry that needs to be folded.  My kitchen sink is full of dishes, and you can barely see the surface of the counter amongst the rows and rows of baby bottles waiting to be loaded into the dishwasher.  I haven't slept through the night for four months and I can't remember the last time I washed my hair or had my nails done.  Welcome to my life as a Mommy.

Being a Mother is so much harder than I ever thought it would be.  I had no idea just how bone-crushingly tired I would feel all the time, or how much I would appreciate having family nearby to help out.  I certainly didn't have a clue how little time or energy we would have for cooking dinner.  During the part of my life that I now refer to as "BNE", or "Before Noah Era", the Hubby and I used to cook elaborate, gourmet meals that would be enjoyed at a beautifully set dining table bathed in candlelight.  Now that we're juggling parenthood with trying to feed ourselves, dinner is hurriedly consumed in front of the television after the Muffin Man finally goes to sleep at night, and there's been at least one incidence of me actually falling asleep in my soup.  I do count myself lucky to be married to a chef and restaurateur, however, because almost every night Chris manages to throw together an amazing dinner despite his exhaustion and more-than-full-time job.  All the years of working in kitchens have made him incredibly efficient at putting out a delicious, well-cooked meal in a limited amount of time.  I'm so grateful to have a spouse who cooks, because if we were dependent on me for dinner every night we'd end up spending Noah's college fund on take-out.  Last night we had barbecued chicken, zucchini pancakes, and spinach salad.  Tonight we're going to enjoy smoked tri-tip, arancini and spring pea salad.  Tomorrow night...who knows what deliciousness is in store.  I'm looking forward to someday enjoying meals at the dining room table again, surrounded by Chris and Noah, but until then I've discovered that The Amazing Race makes an excellent dinner companion.

This guy is not the greatest Sous Chef.  

What does your Family Dinner look like these days?  Join me, Gluten Free Girl and other bloggers at the virtual dinner table and share with us your definition of family dinner.