Table for four

Move aside, Mission-style dining room set: You have been replaced by a glamorous quad feeding table!

One of our first times at the table (August 2009)

This wonderful piece of furniture came our way courtesy of the Murray Crew, whose four boys have graduated to using booster seats at the "real" table. Since I didn't really relish the idea of purchasing four highchairs and having to clean them up after every meal, this table is a dream come true for me! And we've been having a lot of fun in the weeks since we started using it; I think the kids are really starting to look forward to that time with me and with each other. This morning I left Isaac, Lucia, and Dahlia at the table while I changed Jude in the other room, and I could hear them "talking" to and laughing at each other in the kitchen. So cute! Here is everyone hanging out after breakfast yesterday:



Feeding four at once can get hairy since they don't yet understand the concept of taking turns, so I usually try to start out feeding two; once they're close to being finished, I add a third, and eventually a fourth. Doing it this way also lets me focus a little more on each individual, which means that I am quickly learning about all of their little "eating quirks." For example, I've discovered that Isaac likes to dance in his seat, especially when I sing "The Wheels on the Bus." Jude is usually too busy looking around to care very much about the next bite, which can make feeding him quite time-consuming, but I can't shovel the food in fast enough for Lucy, who's our little solid-food-eating machine. And although Dahlia is the most finicky, she will almost always laugh and take a bite if I do the "airplane" with her spoon.

Thanks again, Murray Crew! We cannot express how grateful we are to be on the receiving end of such a generous hand-me-down, and we're looking forward to making many more special memories at this table in the months ahead!