Taco love

I have been really bad about dinner time. I understand the importance of a family dinner time, where everyone can gather and talk about their day and enjoy a healthy meal. I understand because I grew up that way. I also understand I am a failure at it. For one, my husband works all kinds of crazy hours so there's a logistical problem right there. Add to that my never ending stream of diets in which I am usually eating a prepackaged meal. The final issue is that my son never seemed to be able to hold it together to eat at the table- he would get super behavioral and honestly I didn't see the point in forcing him to do something that would make him terribly unhappy all in the name of 'family time'. It bothers me sometimes, but we have gotten used to our ways.

I have the almighty taco to thank for lifting the cloud of maternal guilt I have been wrought with. Bubs has been expressing an interest in tacos. I think one of his friends had those 'lunchables' (which I haven't been able to bring myself to purchase) with the tacos in it. He has been intrigued ever since. So while out grocery shopping we threw caution to the wind and got the taco kit, with the crunchy and the soft shells. Last night, I assembled all of the goods (and my lazy self must admit that tacos are indeed dish intensive, with an emphasis on bowls) and we all sat down to dinner, get this... as a family.

It was exciting and wonderful for a few reasons. To be able to sit at a table with my son and husband and feel like a 'normal' family eating a meal was amazing. I felt like I was in a commercial for home baked goodness. No one was screaming or forced against their will to sit in a chair. No noggin was involved. No reinforcers. Just sitting at the table. Add in that my son was telling us how he was helper of the day and just what that means, well, that was tear inducing (happy tears). The triple whammy element that just set it over the edge into nirvana territory was the fact that my son was eating something he never had before and was enjoying it. He tried the crunchy one first and then wanted a soft one. He actually ingested lettuce!!!! He also tried salsa but that got rejected, 'too spicy' was his exact words.

Bubs even called up his grammy to declare 'I had tacos, they were delicious!' It was an amazing extraordinary dinner that was (almost) better than any five star dining experience I have had.