Up and Down

A year ago, or maybe more (I really can't remember anything anymore) we moved Will and Helen out of highchairs and into regular chairs at our table. Which meant that we had to put the leaf in the table, so it would fit 6 chairs. The consequence of the bigger table is that I can't reach all the way across it. So, this morning is an example of meals at our house. Cort made breakfast (breakfast tacos).

I sat DOWN and grabbed a tortilla and some beans.

Then I got UP and walked around the table to get some eggs.

I sat DOWN, added some cheese, and rolled up my taco.

Helen got in her chair and needed help strapping into her booster seat and scooting her chair up to the table, so I got UP to do so.

I sat back DOWN and took a bite.

Joseph asked for more beans, so I got UP and gave him some.

I sat back DOWN.

Before I could take a bite, Helen refused the half tortilla Cort had given her because she wanted a circle one, so I gave it to her, along with some cheese, then I got UP to move the cheese away from her because you don't leave the shredded cheese in front of Helen if you want any to be left.

Then I sat back DOWN.

I made Will wait while I took a bite of my taco before I got back UP and scooted his chair in.

I sat back DOWN, but then Charlie asked for more milk.

The milk was already out, but on the other end of the table, so I got back UP and got it, and poured some in Charlie's cup.

Then I sat back DOWN and took a bite.

Cort fixed Will his breakfast taco, but in a few minutes Will decided he also wanted some beans on his plate (not just on the taco), so I got back UP to do that.

Then I sat back DOWN, took a bite, and Will asked for cheese on his plate (again, not just on the taco).

So I got UP and obliged.

I sat back DOWN, took a bite, and Joseph asked for more milk.

The milk was on my side of the table now, because I had fetched it to give some to Charlie, but Joseph is not. So I got UP and poured Joseph more milk.

I sat DOWN, barely, but Helen asked for more beans.

I really only had to get halfway UP to accomplish this.

After sitting DOWN and taking a couple of bites, though, she then wanted more milk.

Since the milk was back on the other side of the table, I had to get UP to get it.

Once I sat DOWN again, Helen said she had to go to the bathroom.

So I had to get UP to help her get out.

I sat back DOWN and took a few more bites.

Then Will asked to go to the bathroom, so I got UP and unstrapped him as well.

I sat back DOWN.

Joseph asked for some eggs, so I got UP and got them.

As soon as I sat DOWN, he told me he ate the eggs just so he could have more beans (we've got a rule against having thirds if you haven't eaten some of everything).

So I got UP to give him more beans.

In doing so, I left the beans over by him, so as soon as I sat DOWN and Charlie also asked for more beans and eggs, I had to get UP again.

I sat DOWN, finished my taco, and then got UP to take my dishes to the sink.

I sat back DOWN (still working on my morning diet Coke), and Helen came back from the bathroom.

So I got UP to help her get strapped into her seat, and then sat back DOWN.

I got UP and DOWN several more times to fetch various food items for Charlie and Joe before they went upstairs to finish getting ready for school.

I got UP to help Will back into his seat.

I probably sat DOWN again before I had to get UP to help Helen down from her seat when she was finished, and I stood there to ensure that she took her cup and plate to the sink before I sat back DOWN again.

I got UP and DOWN a few more times to assist Will with various things.

Then I got UP to do the dishes, and I went upstairs to finish getting ready myself, leaving only one kid still eating and Cort on UP and DOWN duty.

We do this one to three times a day, seven days a week. Forced exercise combined with a reduced caloric intake. Why aren't I skinnier?