At our table...

Dinner at our house is mind boggling to say the least. It's pure chaos with some food thrown in. With 5 children and a crazy husband it is anything but quiet or "gasp" relaxing. But guess what? I wouldn't trade it for the world. Just last month, we didn't even have a kitchen table big enough to fit all of the members of our household around. Meals were pretty much grab and go hide in a room in front of a tv or a video game.

Finally, this year when our taxes came in, we decided to invest in a big pub style kitchen table. All 7 of us can actually fit around this thing at the same time!! We actually have real conversations about what happened at school and work or wherever else we may have been on that particular day. We also have conversations about the craziest, silliest things imaginable. Someone usually ends up laughing so hard they either squirt liquids out of their nose, choke on food or almost pee their pants, which of course if any of these things happened would send everyone into a fit of giggles all over again. I have been known to laugh so hard I end up crying at the table.

Let's not forget the nights when we have intense conversations at the table. Debates over politics, religion, bullying. The fact that African American or Latino history is barely even taught in schools in my city. Any topic is open for discussion and these discussions usually end up with everyone talking and yelling over each to get their point across.

Dinner at our table has helped us reconnect as a family and has become my favorite part of the day. So pass the chicken, and can I have a side of giggles with that please?

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