Last week was Matt's first week back to school. He's teaching 4 freshman writing classes. Yuck! Someday soon, when Matt completes his phd, he won't have to teach so many of the grunt-work classes.And last week was my first full-time week of being a mommy of two. God and His marvelous grace got us through last week but I ended up exhausted! Caring for two small children has completely rocked my world.
We established a bit of a morning routine and then by mid-afternoon I was out of energy. Somehow naps aligned for a few of those days so I also caught some zzzz's.
By the time 4:30 p.m. rolled around I was in panic-dinner-preparation mode. The dinner hour has become insanity hour for our family. Everything seems to happen during that magic hour between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Clive gets fussy, mad and then very vocal if he doesn't get immediate attention. Cheerios only pacify him for a short time and then the gig is up. Chloe wakes from her nap, she's usually crabby and in need of a snack. Matt arrives home from school. And I'm rushing around like a rabid squirrel trying to remember what I'm cooking for supper. The ironic bit is that my dinners haven't even been turning out well. I made two dinners with some frozen whiting last week and one I couldn't stomach. Another night I fried some breaded tofu slices but forgot to season the breadcrumbs. And let me assure you, tofu needs seasonings.
After dinner I'm ready for bed. Too bad the kids don't go to bed at 6 o'clock. Maybe if I sneaked (yes, it is sneaked and not snuck) some benadryl into their meals they'd fall asleep earlier . . . .
The bonus in all of this mayhem is Matt. He's a super hands-on dad and he jumps right in as soon as he walks in the door. Another huge blessing about Matt is that he'll eat anything. He just douses an unsavory item with ketchup or hot sauce and then it's gone.
Anyone have any tips for making dinner a more pleasant, quick and efficient process?
8 comments:
The only thing I've been able to figure out is to get it all ready as much as I can earlier in the day, when I'm not as stressed out or in demand. :-) It doesn't always work, but when it does, it's terrific! Crock Pots are wonderful inventions.
I know this is a bit extreme, but I plan my menu out for a month at a time. I have a white board in the kitchen that I write up the menu for that particular week. I get everything ready that I can the night before (thaw the meat, cut veggies if I can, etc) and then Vince or I (depending on who is home first) will throw it all together and cook away. Like Jenny said, crockpot meals are great. I have several crock pot cookbooks and it's a lifesaver. It's hard working full-time and getting everything figured out, but somehow, dinner isn't TOO crazy with prep work done ahead!
I too plan my meals out ahead of time--not a month, but a week or two in advance. Then if I know a meal requires chopping veggies, shredding cheese, picking chix off the bones, etc., I try to sneak it in earlier in the day when kids are napping or peacefully entertaining themselves. I agree with an earlier comment--it doesn't always work and I too have hectic dinners. Sometimes I get Jeremiah involved, setting the table or putting out condiments. This doesn't so much free me up as keep him occupied and in sight. Also, I multi-grill. If we are grilling burgers or whatever, I'll throw some chix breasts on as well. Grilled chix breasts freeze well and are awesome to throw in pastas, on salads or in tortillas when in a hurry. Sometimes I brown 3 lbs hamburger, use what I need for the present meal and freeze individual packages to use later.
i am all about one pot wonders... but them my cooking is nothing ro rave about. jason is like matt in that he will eat anything... and our kids are good eaters.
i'd love to hire abby to plan (and cook) my meals... wouldn't that be nice to have a maid named "alice" like the brady bunch? carol brady had such an easy life with 6 kids!
;)
I'm with Jenny. I set the meat out to thaw in the morning, and then just do the prep work little by little.
Sometimes with little hands helping me, too.
Yup, your evening sounds about right ;o) I think it's great for those who are planners to plan out ahead - of course, that is always a good option. I, on the other hand, despite my best intentions, am not that kind of a planner. My advice - 1. "this, too, will pass" (and I'm told we'll even miss it!) 2. remember, it's okay to ignore your crabby children, and even good for them not to be pacified at times - of course you should always meet their NEEDS, whether help or discipline, but they don't have to be happy - a few of mine were more persistant and would cry/crab endlessly, but most would eventually give up and find something to play w/ and entertain themselves - as soon as they realize they don't have the option of mommy's attention right now. 3. I'm sure you do, but your quiet time is essential to your day - time in your word, and just some silent time - I still make my older children have some quiet time in the afternoon when the younger ones are napping, and I notice a huge difference in my patience level during that dreaded dinner hour if we haven't had that moment of silence during our day!
Hope you're having a better week and finding some harmony in your routine ;o)
I don't have any advice, but I must say I do appreciate your proper use of sneaked vs. snuck! Yay for the English language!
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