Lunch

Lunch today went like this:

I feed my daughter chicken noodle soup, green beans, mixed fruit, and milk. I put away groceries while she eats.

By the time that is finished, she is done eating. I clean her up and get her down from the high chair.

She goes off to play, while I mix up some chicken salad for my lunch. She knocks down a tote full of blocks, falls down, and comes running into the kitchen, crying.

I pick her up. She wants a bite of chicken salad. The dog is whining to go outside.

I put her down. She cries. I let the dog go out.

I pick her back up and make my sandwich one-handed. I put a handful of chips on my plate, and she wants one of those, too. I give her a bite of bread instead.

The dog is now barking to come back inside. I put her down so I can let him back in. She cries.

I hold her hand and carry my lunch into the living room. She's distracted for 2.8 seconds with a toy or a commercial with a dog in it or something. Long enough for me to take a bite.

She wants up in my lap. She sits still, but then squirms to try to grab at my plate. I give her another bite of bread, and that satisfies her momentarily.

She wanders off to play with a lamp cord. I get up and pull her away. She wanders back, and I pull her away again, telling her that is a "no touch." She goes back a third time, and this now lands her in time out.

She screams. I sit and attempt to eat a bit more of my lunch. She hits her head against the wall. The dog thinks someone is knocking at the door, so now he's going nuts.

I get up to get her out of time out. I talk to her and tell her that she cannot play with the lamp cord.

I stand up to find that the dog has jumped into my chair and is now eating the rest of my sandwich, dropping bits of chicken on the floor. I yell for him to stop, but it's too late. I send him to his kennel.

I come back to clean up the mess, and my sassy little girl is back at the lamp cord again within thirty seconds.

We repeat time out, but this time it is louder.

Next, it is time for nap, so we go upstairs to read books. She lays down for her nap and goes to sleep.

It may not have been a relaxing lunchtime, but with the child asleep and the dog in his kennel, it's at least shaping up to be a quiet afternoon.