I think most parents would agree that when you're separated from your children, (mine are vacationing in FL with the grandparents), your mind tends to dwell only on the super cute, funny, loving, silly parenting moments, feeding the ache. Everything I do reminds me of them. But cooking dinner for my family is not full of sweet moments. Luke is usually in major distress, assuring me he will "starb to def" if he doesn't eat that very instant. Lily is usually asking for the 100th time what we're having for dinner, hoping the answer will change, and insisting she'll go to bed hungry before eating what I've made. Fine with me. I ignore the moans of starvation and requests for blue box macaroni and continue on, one ear keenly tuned into the door to hear for David turning the knob. His arrival home offers a brief rescue as their attention turns to him for a few moments. So with that said, as I've cooked dinner for just two this week, there haven't been many "miss the kids so much" moments during my dinner time prep. In fact, I have thoroughly enjoyed cooking my "gross" meals without hearing a single complaint.

I grilled a pork tenderloin for dinner last night. Yum. I love to grill and I'm finally getting the hang of it. As I seasoned the meat, I couldn't help but think back the the first time the kids ever noticed a tenderloin sitting on the counter top. I watched them peek at it over the opposite side of the bar, they were 3 and 4 at the time. After a few seconds of horrified silence, Lily looked at me with huge eyes and asked if I was cooking a baby seal. I couldn't help but laugh hard but managed to reassure them that I wasn't, and then they were tickled at the thought as well, so we all enjoyed a good laugh about it. So in my "baby seal" flashback last night, I again realized how very much I miss my kids.