An Hour in the Life (a.k.a. why it takes so long to make dinner)

I get out the pasta pot, but it looks like either the dogs had licked it and no one had washed it or someone under the age of nine had done the job.

(I put up with this because by the age of ten or so it pays off. I now have three kids who can make a kitchen spotless if need be!)

Lots of gunked on stuff so I had to get out an SOS pad.

Cade is STARVING and wants some yogurt. Okay, I'm thinking, it is kind of late to be just starting dinner and you're a growing boy.

We don't have any sweetened yogurt ready. So I open the new quart of yogurt, add agave and vanilla and stir, making quite a mess with overspill.

(Grr on all the companies that used to make maple yogurt without sugar but still call it maple yogurt even though it's not just maple syrup anymore.)

Now two more kids want yogurt. AND a little whipped cream leftover from Kat's strawberry pie. PLEASE? Okay, if you'll play the quiet game because Kat has the flu and is trying to rest on the couch.

Get the water started to boil.

Courtney is yelling, "Can you get us some coins so we can dive for them?"

Okay, sure! (Get coins, and on the way close the front door which has been left open by little boys taking bubble wrap outside to stomp on it, and remind them that they need to clean it up).

Mom, says Abby, my tummy hurts.

Why don't you take some Zypan?

Okay.

Meatballs into oven.

Now Bode and Cade want me to get them vitamins too.

Stop to clean up Bode, who is covered in yogurt.

Boys try to escape outside. Stop to get at least Cade to clear the yogurt bowls. And remind him to clean up the bubble wrap.

Out to garden to pick some lettuce. Wait, yogurt needs to be put away. Wait, time to add pasta. Turn off the back porch lights. Why are these always on?

Pick lettuce and so many strawberries! (No slugs in the beer trap, but there are two flies. Not bad!)

See Cade. Did you pick up the bubble wrap?

"What is the bubble wrap?"

The stuff you were stomping on the front porch! Please throw it away.

"Oh!"

The light finally comes on.

Coming back in. "Mom, watch me!" Bode is using a 2X4 as a balance beam. "Good Job!" Falls down. "You're okay!"

Stop to chat to sweet hubby who is working on a project outside.

Wash lettuce and berries.

Bode comes back in and is whining because somebody took his yogurt. No, no, it's right here on the counter.

Drain pasta.

"Hey mom, watch this." Some wierd thing I don't understand, and she says it's from the movie we saw last night.

See bubble wrap in a pile in the entry.

"Cade, you need to put the bubble wrap in the trash."

"O-oh!" (like now I get it.)

Heat sauce.

The little boys come in barking like dogs and crawl through the kitchen. Leave the door open. I close it. Turn the porch lights off AGAIN. I don't get this - who would turn them on?

Abby is now in her third outfit since I started this. "Abby, have you put all your clothes away that you have been taking off?" Says something I don't understand but somehow assures me that it's okay.

Rip lettuce.

"Mom, are you coming to watch our dog show?" Sure! Thankfully it was a short rendition of dogs singing "Don't Stop Believing."

Cocoa and friend are STARVING. Help yourself! Kat. Ditto. Serve Dan his "working snack" outside because this is date night! Come back in to serve the littles and Abby has already served all three!!! Good job!

Cade's drink spills all over the table and Bode has a great time splashing it before I get to clean it up.

Big girls try to escape without doing any dinner clean-up. That's a no-go.

Lots of chat about what movie they are going to watch.

Jack and Ryan are gone for the night or we would have a lot more dictation of arguments and discussion of sports scores.

Mom, I think Bode needs a diaper change.

Ah.

But.

Seriously.

I couldn't be more blessed.