so....how's that family dinner resolution going?

Wondering how that family dinner resolution is going? Let's see, so it's January 5th...and we've had four totally successful dinners and one colossal failure*. I'd say that's pretty darn fabulous, and I give myself a little pat on the back. I've got Pinterest boards cued up with recipes I want to try, and the big red pot I got for Christmas has been working overtime, churning out amazing meatless meals. I am definitely tiding the kids over with a platter of fruits or veggies between 4:30-6:00, but sitting down as a family has been really, really nice. I'll check back in with you again once the "resolution honeymoon" has passed and let you know how it's really going around here... in the meantime, I wanted to share a few family dinner resources with those of you who might also be trying to make a go of this happy habit:

• the family dinner book
• blog for family dinner
• eatdinner.org
• time at the table
• the family dinner pledge

* "Colossal failure" wasn't really that bad. I was just being dramatic. But, it was interesting to see the difference when I actually sit and participate in the family dinner, versus thinking that as long as I'm in the same room, it's sort of the same thing. It's really not even close. See, I was feeling all smitten that after four successful nights, I had it down. And, since we had friends coming to dinner and would be eating our dinner later, I attempted to keep cooking, assuming my husband could do the actual sitting at the table part and I could kind of check in from my position stove top...and then I thought, hey, he's got it handled so I'll also make a frittata for tomorrow's breakfast while I'm standing here....and shoot, our friends will be here in a little bit so I should also tidy up the kitchen.... and before I knew it, dinner was over. Sure, I had this fabulous African peanut stew made, and the frittata was doing its' thing in the oven, and the kitchen was cleaned up...but I'd missed the conversations and end-of-day connections. And after four nights of being a part of them, I really did miss them.