A family dinner

Since we've moved Penelope's bedtime to 7:30, we are trying to eat dinner together a few nights a week. It's like Leave it to Beaver...except with 2 adults, 1 toddler and a dog all ravenously hungry trying to cook something up before we throw tantrums. Well, Penelope and I are the ones known to throw a tantrum from hunger. Tonight I made a yummy polenta dish with a mushroom cheese sauce and a side of green beans (Yay, Meatless Mondays!). Penelope had a rice cake and applesauce...she had half of a cheese sandwich and strawberries an hour before. Remember it's all about keeping that hunger tantrum in check. Plus, she's more of an all day grazer than a 3 large meals a day person. I'm sort of an all day grazer and a 3 large meals a day person. hmmmm....

So I thought I'd show you a video of dinner at our house. I had wanted to show you my genius child who figured out how to blow bubbles in her glass all by herself. This is what she did for the camera:

Chris is very good about making Penelope help clean, especially when she has dumped her milk, water, bucket of crayons etc. This is an attempt at getting her to help:

(Please don't call SuperNanny yet...I'll start teaching manners, I promise!)