Dinner Bell

I know most people think of the dinner bell as something that signals the start of dinner but ours is the opposite. Our dinner "bell" ends dinner. At our house, dinner, or any meal for that matter, could go on for hours with these kids. They find so much stuff to do other than eat while sitting at the table, you wouldn't believe it.
Here's a typical meal run down:

• Sit down in chairs at table
• Announce which items on their plates they like and don't like
• Take a bite or two of food then start praying
• Dinner prayers
• Nudged into eating a few more bites
• A round of singing
• More pushing into eating
• A round of questions about anything and everything imaginable
• Forced to eat more a few more bites
• More playing, talking, laughing, putting feet on table etc.
• Dinner "bell" is set as the final countdown to eat before plates are taken away
• The majority of what food is consumed happens now

Our dinner bell consists of the dog noise alarm on Kevin's iPhone. Olivia likes it and Lucy hates it so it works. Lucy eats so she can finish before the alarm goes off since she is scared of the dog barking. Olivia eats to try and make the dog bark. Whatever works. Before the bell, meals could last up to an hour with us constantly reminding them to eat. At least this way we get some food in them mixed with all the fun they seem to have at dinner. It's seriously like having your best friend over for a slumber party everyday at our house.