bringing dinner back

“Shit.” — Me, out loud as I realized at 1:30 pm that we’d forgotten to eat breakfast together, weren’t together for lunch and would be in different parts of the city for dinner

But no worries, we’re pulling it out in the end.

Today is a perfect example of why families don’t eat together. This morning one child had to be at school at 8:30, the other at 9:30. Clyde took one, I took the other. School program from 10 am to noon. Clyde goes to work. Sawyer goes home with a friend. Noah and I head to Blockbuster’s going-out-of-business sale and home. Tonight, we’re going to our book club dinner while Noah rock climbs, then both boys are spending the night with friends.

I’m not surprised I forgot. My week: Up ’til 2 am twice on a deadline. Christmas cards. Don’t forget the French onion dip for my class party. And my Secret Santa gifts. And 14 teacher gifts. Dinner party for 15. Christmas photo album for Clyde’s mom. Meeting about refugees. Two morning coffees with friends (hey, school’s out ’til Jan. 5; gotta get it in when I can). Christmas shopping. Appetizer for school holiday program. Pick up Sawyer’s class rat. Guitar lessons. Noah’s internship interview at TCBY. And the eternal rock climbing, of course.

So, at 1:30 pm, I consider my options:

• Lie. I mean it’s not like there’s going to be a FactCheck.org or Snopes post on my blog, right? Who will know? The kids could rat me out, though. Especially Sawyer. He pays attention to these kinds of things.

• Dash around Dallas trying to get everyone together. But I’m trying to finish up the Christmas photo album for Clyde’s mom, Noah is watching a movie, Sawyer is who knows where with his friend, and Clyde has that job thing.

• Slightly change our evening plans.

So instead of jetting off to our dinner soiree, we’ll drop by the rock climbing gym with Sawyer (instead of dropping him off early with our friends) and get Noah. We’ll meet said friends at a nearby restaurant and at least share a morsel of food together (glad I didn’t make any exact time or food quota when I took on this challenge!). We’ll be a little late to the book club dinner, have some time with all four of us in the same room, and it’ll all be fine.

And if Snopes come checking, I’m clean.

UPDATE: Had a great slice of cheese pizza at our our last-minute, pre-dinner dinner with the boys and our friends who were keeping them. Stayed longer than we should’ve and caught more more than we could’ve had we let the busy day keep us from our family meal. Totally worth it.