Going against my nature

So, I'm totally going against my nature right now and typing this as dinner dishes sit in the sink. I usually have a rule that I clean up the kitchen as Phil puts the kids to bed, so that the task is done before I sit down to the laundry list of things I have to do. Not that I have to do this, but after a day home with a sick kid, I need a little fun.

Not too much work has gotten accomplished this week. First, I lost a day with Luc coming home early on Monday and then today was shot because Amanda was home sick. The house is wrecked and the dress I had been working on for Amanda to wear on Valentine's day is still only 1/2 finished. I don't see how I'm going to finish it, since I still have to put a zipper in and I haven't done a zipper before. The kids will be home Friday because the school district likes to give them a gift of a four-day weekend. Too bad all the moms and dads then have to use up precious vacation time to stay home. And with the economy all shot, I'm sure there will lots of staycations this President's day weekend. We decided to scratch the trip to Vail:)

I did manage to make dinner at home again and the kids are liking everything lately. In the past, we have eaten out about 2 meals a week. Usually we do pizza one night and then eat one lunch out on the weekend. Like everyone else, we are cutting back and have managed to eat out only once in the past 2 weeks. But, of course that means more work for the home cooks and cleaners. Not only do you have to cook your own food, but you don't get the luxury of coming home to a clean kitchen after having eaten out.
Anyway, I love to cook, so that isn't the problem. The problem is coming up with new and exciting (and somewhat healthy) meals that the kids will eat. Like I said, they are good eaters, but I haven't given them anything too adventurous because their wee little tastebuds aren't fully formed. Tonight we had quiche with a potato crust. It had broccoli and corn and a bit of bacon, just for fun. Last night was fettuccini alfredo with soybeans, before that we did a stew and there have been quite a few nights of spaghetti. I want to do less meat these days, but the kids don't go for fish. I didn't either when I was their age.
I'm not the kind of person who likes to repeat a dish more than once every few weeks, so that is where the problem is. I guess it is my problem, though, because Phil and the kids would eat a handful of things over and over again. But I'm the one in the kitchen and I don't want it to be boring. Any ideas for good meatless dishes out there? If so, send them my way!