Dinner Mayhem

Tonight's dinner was quite eventful. Not that dinners are ever uneventful, because there's always a kid who doesn't like something I've slaved to make, or someone's poking someone else, spitting on someone, making faces, etc. Everything happened tonight. And, we had a dinner guest, who kept looking at me laughing at each "event". (Holla!!)
Shea: "Mom, I don't really like broccoli without butter."
Me: "Okay, you can go find some in the fridge, I'm feeding Macy right now."
Shea: "Mom, I can't find any butter."
Me: "That's right, I used the last of it today. Check the garage fridge."
Shea: goes into the garage, then yells "Reilly, the garage door almost smashed your bike!! Come look!!"
Reilly: runs into the garage
Dad: "Reilly and Shea, what are you doing? Come back into the house!"
Shea: "I still can't find any butter."
Mom: "You can use the butter from your (Mama Bella saturated with butter) bread and take a bite of bread with each bite of broccoli."
That was satisfactory to her, but instead, I watched her rub the butter off of the bread onto her broccoli (or so she thought). Resourceful mom I am, and resourceful daughter!
Reilly: "Mom, can I please be excused?"
Me: "No, not yet. Please enjoy a little family time at the table."
Reilly: moan
Camdyn: scream
Me: "Cam, what happened? Why are you getting out of your seat?"
Camdyn: screaming "Mommy, I hurt my toe!!"
Dad: "Cam, please get back into your seat. You haven't even taken a bite of your food."
Cam: crying, getting back into her seat
Kinley: climbing into my lap
Me: "Kinley, what are you doing? You need to sit in your seat and eat your dinner."
Kinley: "But mom, I want to sit in your lap!"
Me: "Go sit in your seat, honey. You need to eat your dinner."
Kinley: reluctantly goes back to her seat
Reilly: "Can I be excused yet?"
Me: "Not yet Reilly, we're all still eating."
Reilly: "But there's nothing to do."
Me: "Why don't you talk to someone?"
Reilly: "Mom, there's nothing to talk about."
Me: "Reilly, there's lots to talk about."
Dad: "Cam, you need to take a bite of your food."
Cam: "I don't like this chicken!!!" (it's tri-tip)
Dad: "Cam, you need to eat your food."
Cam: "NO!!! I don't want to!!!!!"
Dad: "Cam, you're going to be in trouble if you don't eat."
Cam: takes a bite after glaring at dad for a moment
Reilly: stands up, starts shaking his hips and singing, "EVERYBODY DANCE NOW!!"
Me: "Reilly, wow, you've got moves- now sit down and chill out for another minute."
Reilly: sits down "Mom, can I be excused now??"
Me: (hmmmm) "Yes, you can. Take your plate to the sink, go upstairs and take a shower, please."
Reilly: "But mom, I just took a shower, like on Saturday!!"
Dad: "Yah Reilly, and you should take a shower almost every day!"
Reilly: groaning, goes upstairs
Kinley: "Mom, may I please be excused?"
Me: "Sure, you finished, right?"
Kinley: "Yep!"
Me: "Take your plate to the sink and head up."
Kinley: grabs her plate, bumps the chair, drops her plate as I cover my ears as it crashes to the floor

I'll stop at that, although I know I'm leaving out something. Oh, by the way, Macy sat in the high chair next to me sweetly the entire evening. Anyway, you get the picture. I was glad to get out for a pedicure planned by my sweet husband with Hollie (our dinner guest and good friend), and glad that he still let me go after dinner mayhem. At the end of these nights, I just smile and keep in mind that someday I will miss days like these!