GONE!

My boys have soccer practice from 5:30-7:00 on Wednesday night. That is a hard time for me. For them to eat before practice, I would have to have dinner ready by 5 and then they would be playing on a full tummy and have to eat again when they get home before bed. But if they don't eat, then 7 is a long time to wait, especially while burning all those calories. It has been a hard thing for me to figure out. We basically have a sandwich before soccer, and then Chet and I with the babies eat dinner, because Chet has to go to scouts on Wednesday night. It sucks, but it's what we have to do. Tonight they were asking me right away to please not talk because they were hungry. All the way home they were talking a million miles an hour about their tournament this coming weekend. We got home and dinner was on the table. We didn't have the greatest dinner tonight, and in fact I think it was the first time to ever have it, but we had grilled hot dogs, doritos, watermelon, and sunny delight (I know it sucks, it was a rough day!) They all came into the house and went straight for the table. Fully dressed in shin guards and cleats they just started gathering everything they could. They love Chet's homemade relish, and they were piling it on as full as they could stuff their bun. They were scooping/pouring watermelon onto their plates while stuffing hot dogs in their mouth. They were pouring doritos onto their plates and stuffing them in. I don't know if any of them even sat down. They just kept reaching for everything and anything all the while stuffing. I also sat at the kitchen table with them and the babies and we read scriptures and say family prayer. It's the only way to get it in and still get to bed with showers and reading/homework at a decent time. I couldn't even read to them because I was watching in awe! I just sat there watching them DEVOUR all the food until it was gone. After they had eaten everything on the table, including Colby's half eaten hot dog and all the chips on Cael and Colby's plate, they all just sat in silence. Then Caden looks me right in the eyes and says, "Mom. What can I eat. I am still hungry!" I told him he could make himself a pb&j sandwich, and so he did. Then they just sat and listened to me read. It was crazy. It was like a movie. And I have a sneaky suspicion it will be MY movie for the next 15 years.  Usually it is loud and everyone is yelling to be heard, and we are hearing punchline-less jokes, and then fighting, and then someone crying they don't like this dinner, and stop eating all of the whatever because they don't like dinner but like it and on and on. It was nice to have silence and chomping. Even Cael just sat and watched them in silence. Funny night. I better up the food budget real soon! I've started adding a couple veggies and fruit to every meal, and the boys LOVE them. But boy the cost adds up!