Short people eating dinner

As the older kids have gotten, it has been a lot more enjoyable to cook dinner for them.   They just.....eat it.  The younger children however, must read books about how to torture their parents with all the looks and pouting over too many days of soup.   Some days it would just be so sweet if the short people would just.....eat their dinner.   This has been a problem since the beginning of time.   Sin is not grateful for dinner when it keeps appearing every meal.   The short people are not immune from sin and fussing over what they have in front of them to eat.   So......to reduce my stress level around here, I am taking meal planning to a new level.   I know what is in my freezer and what is available in the pantry.   Taking those ingredients, I am doing whatever I can to make dinner more kid friendly.   I buy hams, turkey's and roasts in bulk when they are on super sale, so taking those as the main part of the meal, I am adding veges around that which they love.   I am glad they basically love all veges in their separate from each other form.   Potatoes show up at the table mashed or as oven fries.   Happy my children love baked beans as that is a thrifty option as well.   In every meal I am trying to include one thing which we older folk love to have so that we are not completely bogged down with homemade macaroni and cheese.   Salads are easy to make available to whoever wants it.   Kid friendly and eating as early as I can pull it off, keeps the screaming and whining more under control.  

In-law update

Stepping into my in-laws apartment this past week, I was greeted by the happiest woman.   Mom was all smiles and eager to tell me all of her adventures.   Not sure if I have even had a chance to mention that my in-laws are settled in assisted living now and it is going very well for both of them.   Mom is able to do what she wants knowing that her husband is in good hands.    She was getting him ready to go on a scenic drive when I got there and seemed far less impatient with him over getting moving so they could go.    There are so many opportunities there for her to intermingle with people and to simply get out of her four walls.   I am so very pleased for her.   I am pleased for him too as he is well taken care of and she can do what she can to help with that but is not bound to do it all.   Being more rested is awesome for anyone.