Mythbusters: Moms CAN Eat A Meal In One Sitting
It’s a running joke that moms never get to sit down for a full meal, nor do we get to eat our food while it’s hot. Tonight at dinner, I decided to count how many times I got up.
First, I placed Mister Man’s and Little Miss’s dinner plates on the table, along with forks, napkins, and cups of milk. That should be all we need, right?
Nope, two minutes in, Mister Man finished his milk and wants more. (1)
The Little Miss decided she had to go potty. (2)
She decided she wanted no help, so I sat back down. The she couldn’t get her pants off, so in I went to help her. (3)
Mister Man finished course one of his dinner and decided he wanted some banana mousse (plain yogurt, a banana, vanilla and a tiny bit of sugar blended together and chilled). That, of course, was in the refrigerator. (4)
Oops, forgot to get him a spoon for his mousse. (5)
When she finished, she of course needed help getting her pants all the way up. (6)
Next up (aside me me – ha, ha) was Little Miss seeing that Mister Man had banana mousse. Of course, were I thinking, I would have gotten her some mousse at the same time I got some for him. But I did remember her spoon. (7)
Then Little Miss decided she wanted a banana to dip in her banana mousse. (8)
Mister Man finished cup of milk number two and asked for some water. (9)
Little Miss decided she wanted water, too – tell me when you start to sense a theme here. (10)
Mister Man finished his banana mousse and asked for some carrots. (11)
Little Miss dropped part of the banana on the floor. (12)
Mister Man got excited and spilled some of his water, and his napkin wasn’t enough to soak it up. (13)
Little Miss decided a potty break was in order again. This time, I went with her to pull her pants down. (14)
Then Mister Man decided he was still hungry and wanted some watermelon granita (watermelon, blended with a tiny bit of sugar and some lemon juice, frozen and stirred with a fork about every 45 minutes until fully frozen. It makes fluffy ice, a great light summer dessert). And yes, I got a bowl for Little Miss at the same time. And me, too. It’s good stuff! (15)
Meow jumped up on the chair and decided he was going to join the family, so I kindly asked him to get off the chair. That didn’t work, so I got up to dump him off the chair. (16)
My phone went off, so I silenced it. (17)
The wee ones finally finished dinner. Mister Man ran into the bathroom to wash his hands and face, then presented them to me for inspection. He got them clean, but Little Miss still had watermelon granita on her face, so into the bathroom I went in with her to help scrub her face. (18)
Finally, I finished my dinner. Oh, I mean after we went upstairs, went potty one last time, brushed our teeth, put on our pjs, read a Bob book, and got into bed after hugs and kisses. But really, I did get to finish it. And it was so quiet when I did, too.
I feel like the owl from the Tootsie Pop commercial!
Of note… no, my husband wasn’t home at the time. Had he been, maybe I would have only had to get up 17 times. And that’s because the cat wouldn’t have jumped up in the chair had my husband been home and sitting in it.
Now the big question: How do I still not figure out that when one child gets something new, the next child is immediately going to want the same thing? It isn’t like I’m a new mom or this is a new phenomenon. And I can’t blame it on baby brain anymore, I don’t think.
Maybe it’s just my subconscious way of ensuring I get more exercise on a daily basis. No, wait. It’s a conscious way to get more exercise and ensure I take my time eating my food. Yeah… that’s it. I do it on purpose.
118 comments:
Were you eating dinner at my house this evening?! I went to Las Vegas several weeks ago, and the best part of the whole trip was eating all my meals uninterrupted! I want to go on vacation again just to repeat the phenomenon!
ahhh mealtime. i swear by the time i sit down to eat they are long gone.....potty breaks, forks needed....
LOL That is funny! So was the Myth "busted" or are you planning another experiment?
My favorite is when my husband calls right as I sit down and says that he's on his way home, so I can make his dinner?!
That's so true!!! Even my husband asks me to get up - for the salt and pepper or something like that. He just gets the glare of death.
My favorite meal of the day is the midnight meal. When all the kids are in bed!
Funny. I can't remember a single time when my mom ate dinner with us when we were kids. I always just thought she didn't like to eat.
It's the fatique from jumping up and down that keeps you from thinking logically about things.
DWTBO -- You didn't notice me there? Actually, I was spying in the window with my remote camera and just reporting on what I saw there....
Feener -- I keep telling myself that it's important to eat as a family, so I try. I really do try. I should just get a plate of plastic food and have my real meal later so it doesn't get cold and yucky.
Cookie -- I should correct the post to note that the myth was busted! So do you make his dinner when he calls like that, or do you just leave his plate sitting out a little longer?
Mary -- My husband at least has the grace to not ask me to get anything. And I shouldn't exaggerate too much; there are times when he gets up to get something when I've gotten up more than normal and start heaving a sigh every time the wee ones make a request. I actually at my dinner in peace tonight, but that was because I went to yoga so ate after I got home when the wee ones were in bed.
Jeff -- Are you sure she doesn't like to eat? It turns out that my mom truly doesn't like food, which explains why she'd make an entire box of spaghetti then leave it in a Ziploc in the fridge for us to pick at when we got hungry....
Karen -- I like the way you think. I'm too tired to make sense. I'll be able to use that excuse for years ;)
Sometimes I do get up and start cooking something for hub when he calls. Sometimes I plan ahead and cook his dinner at the same time as everyone else's and sometimes I ignore the phone and let the machine get it ;) and no, I'm not moody!
My kids are older than yours and still, O usually finish my meal after everyone has gone to sleep. *sigh*
Good thing I'm a night owl.
Jules -- you aren't making me feel any better here. I'm counting on "things getting easier and better when they get older" -- some days I really need that hope to get through the day with a modicum of sanity!
Ahhh. Dinnertime. Sunday afternoon. Midnight.
All the times we mom's will one day relax.
But not today.
(And, frankly...that's okay. I'm sort of all fore chubby fingers and squished sleeping arrangements in exchange for the few frantic moments.)
Happy SITS day!
That was excellent..squeeze me, need to get 2 year old out of fridge (1).
Loved Loved Loved...(need to find out why dog is barking at kid, 2)..your blog.
Congrats on being the...(Geessssus, I just need 2 seconds here, what are you both doing..3)...FEATURED BLOGGER.
:)
That was fun!
This is funny, the joys I have to look forward too!
I love this!! too funny!
I get the occasion to eat a meal on my own from time to time, and I actually find myself getting very fidgety about 10 minutes into it. Maybe that's why grandma's are always asking "do you need anything else dear" and hoping you say yes! :)
Enjoy your SITS day!!!
Happy SITS day!
We live in parallel universes! I so hear ya honey - one day a hot meal will be had. I just need not to be grumpy about it!
Funny and oh so true! We call my husband the middle man at dinner time because he is the one I pass everything to, who then gets to pass it, blow on it, cut it etc for the little angels! LOL
http://allaboutmeandabagofchips.typepad.com/my_weblog/
As your kids get older, the dinner time "breaks" will get fewer and fewer. Eventually, you'll get to eat your dinner with everyone else, once you can get the teens to the table, that is...
At least when they get older they lose their fascination with the potty. Now getting them to come out of the shower to eat on time...
Happy SITS day!
What a beautiful blog! I love your title line.
Happy SITS day!
Oh gosh. The up and down at the dinner table drives me crazy. Usually hubby handles it so I can stay sitting. It's nice when he's here...and not so nice when he's not.
LOL!
Happy SITS day!
Oh gosh. The up and down at the dinner table drives me crazy. Usually hubby handles it so I can stay sitting. It's nice when he's here...and not so nice when he's not.
LOL!
Wow...that is way more up and down than I do..and i have seven at home.
This is an exercise class they don't have at my local Y - the Dinner Dance Workout! Think of all the abdominals work you're getting with the sitting, standing, bending, etc.... :)
Love the post! Happy SITS day!
bahahahahahahaha Yeah, that's it, we are just exercising during dinner:) Some days I think I should just eat standing up, in the kitchen.
Sad but true. At least we can laugh about it, right?
On a side note, I have to try the watermelon granita thing. My mouth is watering just thinking of it! Got anymore of those ideas to share?
Thanks for the laughs! Congrats on your SITS feature!!
I only have one and I still can't sit through meals.
So funny (an slightly sad), but think of all the extra excerise we moms sneak in and don't even realize it.
At least you're getting some exercise!
For the simpletons like me ( who have lost most of our brain cells because we never get to eat on time or when it's hot) please post recipes for those delicious sounding treats. Thanks.
Sigh...and here I thought that drinking cold coffee was only going to last through the baby stage. :)
This is so my life. To a "t". I was just wondering when I'd get to eat a hot dinner or have my coffee be hot when I drank the last bit.
I love it! Glad I'm not the only one :)
Congrats on your SITS day as well. They definitely chose a winner!
You know that say it is better for you to eat standing up anyway. ;-)
Over from SITS....That was a great post and soooo true!! But I don't do it on purpose....*sigh*
LOL! I remember those days very well!
Funny and oh so true!! They say that families are all supposed to eat dinner together but that is a little hard when you are getting up 18 times!! I usually just wait until they are finished because sometimes it is nice to eat a meal in quiet!! Love your blog!
I've got 3 kids, and I've learned that what works for us is to bring everything to the table for supper. Extra napkins, drinks, the food. everything. served family style. Then i bring the dessert out. It works so much better at my house now!
Happy SITS day!
almost need a baby sitter for dinner time.
Dinner time=Exercise time!
Hugs and Mocha,
Stesha
Oh, that was too funny. I haven't got to that stage yet, but now I know what I can look forward to....weight loss!
Hilarious. You have made moms everywhere feel like they're not alone. :) I hope you have a great SITS day!
I am rolling! This was so funny and SO TRUE!!!
Awesome post :)
oh my gosh - you must have been tired!!!!!!! i do the up and down thing but I don't think it's ever been that much. LOL Happy SITS Day!!
Now that is my life. LOL
Happy SITS day.
Too funny! I was reading your post thinking "Mister Man" was your hubby... until I got to the end... My brain was screaming "TELL THAT MAN TO GET HIS OWN DRINK!" Thank goodness I didn't have to say it outloud... hehe
This is hysterical because it is so true! Luckily my husband helps out a ton, so I'm not the only one getting up. When he's gone, sometimes I just feed everyone first and then serve myself so my food will still be hot.
I promise you, it won't be this way forever. I'll be glad when I don't have to make the meal anymore. Right now, I'm glad they can serve themselves.
You just described my dinnertime fun! yes, that's me too...i'm going to count tonight so i have an accurate number. I must be hitting the 20 mark...easily!
hehehehe. so funny, very cute and a little tiring...right? great post!
When my husband is home I end up getting up more!
Just think, when they are older it will be time for payback.
Ask them to get additional napkins, missing ketchup, drinks from garage, etc.
That's a lot of getting up and sitting back down. Whew. I'm tired just reading your post. :)
I'm exhausted just reading this post! :) Maybe you should wear a pedometer to see if you're getting your daily 10,000 steps at dinner alone?
Funny I guess at least you got some food right?
I'm so stealing that - dinner time should totally count as exercise.
Happy sitsta day~
LOL...you must sleep peacefully at night.
too funny and sadly true! happy SITS day!
That is hilarious. hehe. And so true! Of course you are probably much more accomodating about the food/drink that I would be. ha! Happy SITS day to you!!
I'm glad you finally got to finish eating... Sounds like you need your sustenance!
Ah, being a Mom...such fun. Am I the only one that REALLY, REALLY wants banana mousse and watermelon granita???
That's a lot of getting up!
Dinner for me is not too bad. My Hubby does help. But this is the story of my lunch with the kids. You would think with all the bouncing up and down I do, I would lose more weight:)
BTW, baby/mommy brain lasts until the kids are about 18 years of age. At least I have been told.
I truly think one of the nicest luxuries is having breakfast made for me - I guess all the meals would be nice too, but really it's breakfast for me.
Wow, you should check out if there's a Guiness World Record for that yet. Sounds like you'd definitely be in the running!
Happy SITS day!
My husband and I were just talking about this the other day! When will get a hot meal that we can stay seated for? We determined it's only possible if we eat after the kids are in bed. lol!
I always tell my hubby that the big difference between his mother and I is that I refuse to get up during the meal... of course, that's probably why she's infinitely thinner than I am...
I'm not sure how I got through those days, but I did. Nowadays with my daughters on their own and Mr. Ex gone too, I sit on the couch and eat with my dogs next to me. They sit quietly, don't beg for food off my plate, never interrupt & take themselves out the doggie door to go potty. It's sweet, but a little boring.
Wow, thanks for busting that myth! This happens to me all the time at dinner. I'm always the last one at the table to finish my dinner or, like you, just don't eat until the wee ones are in bed. 'Tis the season of our lives, right?
P.S. visiting from SITS :-)
ugh! reading your post was like reliving my dinnertime "ritual"!!! thanks for making me laugh about though!
Oh, man. It's a wonder we eat at all!
OMG that drive me INSANE. I have started ignoring ALL requests. Now my husband gets up for everything. ha ha!
Oh goodness, do I know this routine!! LOL
Popping in from SITS.
I can sooooooo relate to this post! With three little ones, I'm lucky if I get a bite to eat after getting up over half a dozen times! Thanks for the laugh!
That's so funny! Makes me look forward to being a parent ;-) Stopping by from SITS, awesome blog!
Uh as I type I just finished up a very cold bowl of oatmeal. LOL! I thought I had timed it just right, clearly I misjudged. But a diaper change, nursing session, and 10 minutes later I got to eat my breakfast :)
Happy SITS day!
This explains why so many moms are thinner than we non-moms! I need to go borrow me some kids!
I bet you can't get a bathroom break by yourself either??
Enjoy your SITS day, I've really liked visiting your blog!
I've so been there, and will be there again tonight! Thanks for sharing!
I don't even have kids and I'm chuckling!
Too funny. Happy SITS day!
Oh yes, the nightly dinner routine, what fun!!!
:)
~Tabitha~
freshmommyblog.com
I'm 10 pounds thinner than my pre-mommy me because of this phenomenon. Doesn't mean I don't miss a nice, warm meal.
Preferably in a restuarant, with girl friends and a bottle of wine.
Too much to ask?
Congrats on being Saucy!
I decided a LONG time ago that if you've EVER had a baby then you can ALWAYS use the baby brain excuse!!
HaHa! This sounds very familiar!
That stops when they are old enough to get things for themselves! I started them off young because I hate eating cold food. :)
I'm not to that stage yet, but it sounds like a good workout.
It's the mommy diet. We should all be thin as supermodels, but alas, it doesn't seem to work out that way.
Motherhood has been the best diet plan for me. If I'm not jumping up then someone is eating my food, mine must taste better
Motherhood has been the best diet plan for me. If I'm not jumping up then someone is eating my food, mine must taste better
Oh I love it! Sounds like my house! LOL! Mom is ALWAYS the last one to eat in our house...gotta love it!
i was jsut discussing this with anohter mom a few days ago. between getting thigns for my 4 yr old, feeding my 11 month old and serving my husband, yeah I should be thinner than I am
At least you have a great sense of humor about it! Thanks for sharing with us.
i am just so glad to know that it is not just me that has to do this!!! oh and we make the watermelon stuff too in the summer and we all love it!
Haven't we all been THERE! Too funny, I've never counted before, don't think I want to. ;)
those recipes look great! i'll have to try them sometime.
i know that wasn't the point of your post, but i'm glad you took time to share them :)
Oh, this is too true! I should count the number of times I get up as well, maybe it's why I stay so skinny ~ I don't get enough to eat and I'm exercizing all the time! LOL!
Hi-larious!
Oh my goodness, I LOVED this post - and oh how accurate! I should count how many times I get up tonight at dinner. It'll be a good experiment ;-) Haha!!
So true...Happy SITS day!
That IS bad. But WHEN I was married, my husband was completely oblivious to these things. I remember one time in particular at a restaurant. I fed the baby while my food got cold, like normal. Then I asked my husband to take the baby and change his diaper while I quickly ate my dinner...and then we'd leave. He argued about not having a changing table in the men's bathroom. I'm like, deal with it, I always do. Instead, I gave in and took the baby to be changed. When I got back to the table, it had been cleared. I asked him what happened to my dinner. He said he thought I was done. I reminded him of my original request for HIM to change the baby so I could eat. Ultimately, we stopped by McDonalds on the way home so that I didn't have to COOK when I got home. I didn't speak to my husband for DAYS.
I'm single now. : )
- Leslie
Wow. This is a popular post. (Good to know we're all in the same boat, I guess)
Congrats on your SITS feature!
You're so right! I should see how many times I have to get up too. This made me smile, thanks!
This is the sort of thing you shouldn't keep track of because it will just drive you nuts!
I have soooo been there, but I promise it gets better as they get older! Love your blog!
Great post! Thankfully, my girls are old enough now to get things on their own, LOL!
Hi Fellow SITSta, I can totally relate to this post. I'm same as you except double the kids and one very hyper child to add. Thanks for making me think to count.
I love that line from A Christmas Story where the kid says something like "My mom hasn't had a hot meal since 1942" or something like that.
Great post! You had me laughing!
I love that at in the end you decided the getting up and down was a conscious decision.
haha - this was my life until I took a page out of my MIL's book and brought all the available dinner/dessert/drink items to sit on the table with us before hand. Now I only have to get up about 10 times during the meal!
Hilarious and so true!
Happy SITS day!
Gosh this is so true.
Sounds like our dinner time routine. Exercise, yeah, that's it! Does that count as my 30 min of exercise for the day?
LOL....so funny and yet just a tad depressing...I've never counted....can't believe you did :)
ok, it isn't just our kids being related. We are. I swear it. You're my twin :) Read the most recent posts on my blog, you'll see ;)
I don't knows how she did it, my my mom NEVER got up from the dinner table. It was shocking when I met my in-laws to see my future mom-in-law bobbing up and down like a cork, getting things for everyone else. Sadly, I am following in her footsteps. I can't remember the last time I actually sat all the way through a meal. Maybe when the kiddos are older!
I would have thought it would be too depressing to count, but I think you've demonstrated that we are all getting excellent daily workouts!
Ha! Sounds so familiar! Hope you enjoyed your SITS day!
Oh man! wow! Things to look forward to when I become a mom I guess :)
Post a Comment