Eating War

If the authorities weren't so busy with what is going on around our county right now, it is my firm belief that they would have knocked at my door this evening, inquiring about the screams and hollers coming from the area of our dinner table. Tonight, we had World War Four take place inside our home.

The reason: baked chicken with mozzarella cheese and Corn Bread Souffle.

Night after night I make dinner for my kids, only to throw it down the sink 45 minutes later. Tonight, I decided, was time to change that. Dinner was going to be completed by four children- and-that-was-that. Hence, World War Four.

It was decided that anyone who didn't finish their dinner by the time the rest of us were done, would sit at the table...downstairs...ALONE...until it was finished. Seemed like an easy enough persuasion to get them to eat, considering being alone is not their forte. Boy, was I wrong.

Bella finished her dinner with little excitement, while three other children sat at that table...FOR TWO HOURS, screaming, whining, wriggling, complaining, PUKING, requesting bathroom breaks.... One would think that I was forcing them to eat liver and onions. Remember, they were only asked to eat about 4 bites of baked chicken with mozzarella cheese and a square of corn bread measuring about 1 square inch. Did I mention that I even made from scratch, cookie bars smothered in melted chocolate chips as an enticement to finish their dinner?

After emptying her stomach from the half-gallon of milk she drank trying to drown out each bite of chicken taste, Angel recovered and finished her dinner. Isaac and Annie will enjoy the rest of their dinner for breakfast tomorrow morning, as we ran out of time for them to finish tonight. I didn't think it was appropriate to leave two young children alone downstairs, while their parents caught z's upstairs.

Needless to say in the past two hours, I learned a couple of important facts. The first one being, my Hoover Elite vacuum is not only good for keeping my carpet clean, making those lines in the carpet that satisfy my OCD, but it is a wonderful way to drown out the shrieks of tormented children being asked to eat baked chicken and corn bread souffle.

The second fact that this lovely ordeal has shown me, is that I am free from my need to eat under stress! The old me would have relieved my anger by swallowing the pan of cookie bars dowsed in melted chocolate chips--WHOLE! Tonight, one cookie bar dowsed in melted chocolate chips did the trick. Which is probably a good thing...Most likely I will need the rest of the pan tomorrow when Isaac and Annie realize that they haven't seen the end of the baked chicken and corn bread souffle.

I'm off to bed to rest up for a continuation of our war---at the breakfast table!