Meal Time

My hubby stands at the stove helping me put the finishing touches on our meal of taco's. Im scurrying around the kitchen, grabbing the veggies out of the microwave, getting milk for the kids, throwing the shells in the oven to warm up. The kids are at the table happily chatting and playing with each other. I smell the spicy meat as R takes it to the table and places it on a pot holder. I grab the kids' drinks and put them in front of each child. They excitedly drink some proclaiming how good it is. R and I start dishing the meat and shells onto the kids' plates. Happy is in her highchair screaming (happy screams) and banging her tray. I hear one of the kids say for the hundreth time how hungry they are. Everything is finally ready. I take one last look before I sit down, the cheese, shells, drinks, Ranch, sour cream are all at the table. R pours my drink and then gets our coffee. When all are seated we hold hands and pray. As soon as we are about to take a bite George yells "I want to pray!" He prays, always the same thing, "Dear Jesus, thank you for playing and eating, I love Mommy, Daddy, Blondie, Tiny, Happy, and Lasso, and I love you Jesus, Amen." We are about to take a bite again and Blondie shouts "I want to pray too!" "Ok go ahead Blondie" We all bow our heads again "Dear Jesus thank you for George, Tiny, Happy, Mommy, and Daddy, thank you for the big Astro Boy with the chest that lights up that Mommy is going to get me for Christmas... AMEN!" R and I start to reach for our forks when Tiny pipes up (never to be left out mind you) "Me too!" So we all close our eyes "Dee Je, Daee, and Daee, an Daee... Amn!" She looks up with a shy big smile on her face "Good job Tiny!" R says. I hear the tinkling of forks on plates as each person starts to eat. Blondie always the first one to need something yells "I want some Ranch!" Im feeding Happy her baby food so R takes Blondies plate and puts some Ranch on it for her. Tiny says "Me too" and points at her plate, so R puts some on hers. "I want more broccoli!" George says. Im still feeding Happy but put her bowl down and get some broccoli for George. "I want some too!" So I get some for Blondie. "Can you fold my taco?" George asks. So I reach over the table and show him how to fold it and then hold it so it doesnt dump. Happy starts banging her tray and yelling for more food so I grab the bowl and start feeding her again. I still havent taken a bite so I throw some veggies on her tray so that I can eat too. She growls and starts shoving food into her mouth. I take up my taco and start eating. Blondie our hypochondriac asks about the bump on her lip. We answer her accordingly. "Look how much Ive eaten" Blondie says holding up her taco. "Ive eaten more" George says... Tiny holds up her taco thats shes nearly devoured "Good job Tiny!" I say "Good job Blondie and George" The oven beeps saying the cheese balls and poppers are done. So I slide my chair back and get those. I hear Blondie complaining that George is bothering her and R telling George to leave her alone. R always finishes his drinks before hes done eating. He reaches over and takes a drink of mine. I look at him with raised eyebrows and he smiles, drink stealer. I sit back down with the cheese balls and poppers. R and I both put some on our plates. The kids are almost done eating. "Finish up guys" I say as I fish a piece of broccoli skin out of Happys mouth thats choking her. I take up Happys bowl and finish feeding her her apple sauce. Shes now covered in broccoli and carrots. I think to myself that Im glad that shes in just her diaper. R is done eating so I take his and my plate to the sink. One by one the kids finish and scamper off to play. I tell them to put their plates in the sink. Blondie wants more milk so I give her the rest of Tiny's. I go and get a washcloth and start cleaning Happy off. I take her out of the highchair then give her a big kiss on her now clean cheek. Then bury my nose in her neck. I place her on the floor then finish cleaning up. R helps me take stuff into the kitchen and puts the leftovers in the fridge. I load up the dishwasher then clean the table and counters off. I take my now cold coffee and chug it. Then I get the broom and sweep under the table. I think to myself as I sweep how thankful I am to have this family, I love the busyness that comes with the growing size and then I think with a smile, I am truly blessed. <3