Damian fell asleep in his highchair.
27 September 2007

Our living room/dining room area (the largest area in the house) has been completely covered in plastic drop cloths for two weeks.  The children have been confined to the outside during the day and then have been confined to our bedroom at dusk and night when the mosquitoes start to swarm.  We’ve been having breakfast outside on the porch, and dinner has been a picnic with all of us piled onto the bed.

Sure, this was fun the first couple of times, but the strain is starting to show.  Last night, Matt finally pulled the dinner table back out into the main area and we had dinner at the table.  I never realized how important a dinner table is before this experience.  Mealtimes were a nightmare!  The uncomfortable logistics of attempting to eat in awkward places made mealtimes a complete nightmare.  You would not believe the wave of relief and gratitude that washed over me when Matt said, “Let’s get the table out.”  I swear I could have cried.

So, this is a lesson for all, I think:  don’t take your dining room table for granted.  It is the place where your family gathers to comfortably have meals together and enjoy one another’s company.