Pass the Cereal

Sometimes it is one of those days...

My grandchildren stayed the night last night. Sleepover at grandma and grandpa’s is always a special time. The boys are ages 8 and 7. Mommy and Daddy wanted them close in age however, I’m not sure anyone was prepared for the endless energy when they are together. I pack in as many activities as possible during their stay that I can think of to keep them busy. This overnight included making personal pizzas, riding scooters, playing with a friend, going out for ice cream, and breaking out the sparklers in preparation for July 4th . Whew…I am getting tired just recalling all the fun and action! Mommy had mercy on this Grandma and picked them up at 9:30 Sunday morning which gave me a reprieve from making another long list of things to do! You know what they say about the joy of being a grandma, "You can spoil them and then send them home!"

By dinner time, this caregiver was exhausted. Just thinking of making dinner was more energy than I could muster. I looked over to my husband and said, “How about we go out for dinner? Being a fairly agreeable guy, he said, "OK".

We ended up going up the street to a local Mexican restaurant. I usually try to steer away from places with large menus as we usually must send the waiter or waitress back about 3 times while my Love makes up his mind. I pointed to the shorter list of combination dinners and that focused him leading to a dinner choice.

Our food came quickly. One look at his choice, I wanted to kick myself for not bringing a bib. With only half of his fingers on his right hand he has a great deal of difficulty managing utensils. In order to keep the food on the fork he often has to stuff large sections in his mouth to not lose all the deliciousness on the floor.

The queso sauce, tomato sauce and rice dropped clump after clump on his shirt and floor. This evening out proved to be exceptionally messy. I wondered if anyone was watching. I was sure people were gazing our way, when he left out several sneezes not covering his mouth.

The lack of sleep from the night before was beginning to wear on me. I knew my patience for this outing was in short supply.

I found myself even less patient after asking for more napkins and the waiter just brought me two. Could he not see that we needed a mop and bucket?

My Love really does not want big dinners. He really would be fine with cereal.

There are so many options for meals nowadays if I do not want to add to an already stressful or tiring day.

Here is a few that I will remember the next time I have one of those days.

It's OK to have cereal

This choice can be healthy. Add a banana or another fruit of choice. Watch the sugar content. Breakfast for dinner can be a nice change.

Frozen dinners are another option

A walk through the frozen food aisle is almost overwhelming there are so many choices.

Having a few frozen dinners in the freezer to grab on a rough day takes the pressure off of having to think of what to make.

Use a food delivery service to have your favorite meal delivered to enjoy in your own home

This choice is a treat for both my husband and myself. Eating in the comfort of our own home is so much better than the stress of going out.

On a good day, make some meals ahead and freeze them for later.

Make extra when you cook and freeze for a day when cooking may be tough. Since I'm cooking for two, most recipes are large enough to freeze several portions.

What do you do when you’re too tired to cook and going out may not be a good option. Share in the comments section below.