The Coronacation Diaries, Episode 34

We Didn't Eat Dinner as a Family and It Was Glorious

33 days. 33 days in a row of family dinners. 33 days of cooking a meal, and then cleaning up after it. 33 days of the kids kicking each other under the table, and then arguing about youtubers. 33 days of dad jokes. 33 days of my daughter not being hungry because she decided to eat a huge snack at 4:30, my son failing to understand the purpose of silverware, and Michael segmenting his plate into quadrants, keeping all foods quarantined from each other, never they shall meet. 33 days of heavy sighs at the homecooked meals and a general refusal to eat vegetables. 33 days of touching raw meat.

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Today, Helena and I took a 6 mile walk on the trails. Michael went for a run. He and Sam built a robot. I walked the dog. We all just kinda went our own way. There were leftovers in the fridge and everybody just ate whatever they felt whenever they felt like it.

The new normal of nightly family dinners has been, honestly, kind of awesome. All joking and complaining aside, being able to see my family every day in one place and taking a few minutes to eat a meal together has brought us closer together, and made us --if not appreciate-- tolerate each other a little bit more.

Today, I have a lot to appreciate. I appreciate that the sun finally came out. I appreciate that it didn't snow. I appreciate that my ankle is healed enough that I can go for a long walk on uneven surfaces. I appreciate that my daughter was bored enough to want to leave her room and go for a walk. I appreciate that she talked to me for 2 hours (TWO HOURS!) and said I leveled up in confidante points. I appreciate our cozy little house. I appreciate that we are all healthy. I appreciate that Michael is willing to build a robot with Sam. I appreciate my recliner. I appreciate ice packs. I appreciate boxes of wine. I appreciate leftovers.

And I definitely appreciate a night off from eating dinner as a family.