晚饭时间，家里的餐桌上却冷冷清清，摆满了垃圾食品。家人还未到齐，已开吃的人则一言不发，狼吞虎咽……过去可不是这样!该做出改变了。
It’ssuppertimeinmyhouse, butitresemblesnothingliketheLeaveittoBeaver-styledinnersIgrewupwith.[1] Myhusbandisn’thomefromworkyet, my 13-year-oldsonisstillathisfriend’shouse, andmy 15-year-olddaughterisgluedtoFacebook.[2]
Iserveup[3] fourplatesoffoodanyway. Thefrozenfishsticksarecookedyetsoggy.[4] Thefriesarelimp[5] butedible. Thecannedcornismushy, andthebaggedsalad, whichexpiredtwodaysago, islookingtireddespiteaninjectionofcucumberslicesandbabytomatoes.[6]
Nowondermyfamilyhasfailedtobeprompt[7]. ButSarah’stutorisscheduledtoarriveinhalfanhour, atwhichtimetherattlinginthekitchenmustcease, offeringpeaceandquiettothestudiouspair.[8]
Whenmyhusbandandsonfinallyrollinoneaftertheother, SarahandIhaveeaten, she’sbackatthescreen, andI’mscrapingplateswhiledigestingdisappointmentoverourfamily-mealfiasco: crappyfood, latearrivalsandnoconversations.[9] Discouragementsetaside, Imicrowavetwocolddinnersandshovetheminfrontofthelatecomers.[10] Miraculously, bythetimethetutorarrives, theboyshaveinhaleddinner, thedishwasherisloadedandthekitchenisclean.[11]