Dinner With the Kids - Good Move -

Several months ago, on a Sunday, Jenna called and asked what we were having for dinner. It was her way of saying, "Can we come over for Sunday dinner? Because I don't want to cook." Well, I had a great meal in the works, but instead of having them to our place, I suggested that we bring dinner to their place, so they didn't have to pack the kids up, drive here, eat, pack the kids up, drive home.

And - it was a hit! And we've combined meals many times since -

So, Scott and I decided to try it with Tyler and family. "Tyler, can we come to dinner at your place on Sunday? We'll bring dinner." They made dessert. And of course, who could turn down dinner, and we had dinner at their home - played with the kids on their turf, cleaned up, came home. Lovely evening. And we've done this a few times since.

Right before Christmas I called Diana, and offered the same deal. Hit! The kids loved the meal ("This is just like Thanksgiving dinner"); Diana had Christmas treats for us. We made Christmas ornaments, kissed the kids good-bye, and came home.

Oh yeah! It's a blast - I cook dinner, we pack it up, drive to the kids, unpack, table already set, eat, wash up, play and visit with the kids, come home - TO A CLEAN HOUSE!!! And no stress.

Tonight Julie and Alex came here for dinner. The best visit. And no stress.

We try to have my mom over a couple of times a week, and it's the same - we make dinner, she'll bring a dessert or rolls, and always good conversation.

Meals? We've had:

Pizza, Mexican food (taco/burrito bar), hot dogs, ribs, chicken, and vegetables (raw, roasted, stir-fried), salads, beans, corn, rice, potatoes (baked or mashed), soups. Tonight it was stir-fry, orange chicken, pot stickers, a spinach salad with avocado and oranges, and Julie brought brownies and ice cream.

Seriously though - what a better way to spend an evening - sharing a meal with loved ones, seeing grandchildren in their environment, and then coming home to ours - with no fuss whatsoever. Conversations are easier, there's no pulling kids out of places they shouldn't be, and because our house is so small, we're not crammed for space. A meals is always the best when shared - regardless of whose turf it's on!

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