primary seating

We weren't always heathens. There was a time when Catcher actually sat down at proper* table to eat his meals. Scout was too young to join him, but her high chair was saddled up next to the table and we enjoyed quiet conversation and baby babble over sweet potatoes and chicken nuggets. Our dining table was one of the last things to go before moving to Austin, but because I was pregnant at the time and it only seated four, we knew that our soon-to-be family of five would eventually outgrow it. That left us with no where to eat once we arrived. It was fine--yet not ideal--at first when Scout would still cooperate in her high chair and Catcher would sit still at the coffee table for his meals. But eventually toddlerhood took over and Scout became a wandering tornado of PB&J and apple bits (not to mention sticky fingers) and Catcher would get up from his otherwise peaceful meal to tell me that Scout had knocked over his milk or Scout had stolen his taco or Scout was smashing Cheerios into the floor. Vacuuming three times a day and spritzing down the coffee table with non-toxic cleaning agents ten times more than that was getting old.

Then we got a surprise from my mother-in-law--the Avery table and chairs--that arrived at our door last week (we're still waiting on the red chair but we couldn't wait to get started on a new project).

Catcher "organizing" (his word) the boxes before we open them to begin assembly.

After carefully reading the "constructions" (again, his word), losing (and then finding) a spring washer in the carpet, the table was complete. 

Catcher testing out the first chair to be assembled. I had the legs on backwards the first go-round and then discovered the little arrows pointing you in the right direction.

Sixteen screws, eight legs and four Allen wrenches later we were ready for a real test drive. First order of business: Catcher assigned chair colors to everyone. He's blue, Scout's yellow and Tillie is green.

Mmm...dinner never tasted so good.

*proper meaning dining table, not coffee table like we've been doing for the past six months