Please Sir, Can I Have Some More?

Oh boy – I could go on for pages about what I’d like more of . . .

• Time
• Money
• Friends
• Babysitters
• Time
• Sleep
• Money
• Time
• Downton Abbey
• My mom’s really cool shoes
• Patience
• Time
• Free movie tickets
• Massages
• Did I mention time?

Okay, so that’s not really surprising. But a few months ago I was complaining on Facebook (I know, what’s new?) about how I hate not getting home each night until 7pm and still needing to clean up the kitchen and make dinner, while I’d really rather spend a few minutes of down time with my kids, or at least help them with their homework, and have five minutes to change out of my work clothes. (That’s the time issue.)

A friend of mine from high school who lives in France and has FIVE BOYS, that’s right FIVE (I am immensely jealous of her on both those points) had a wonderful suggestion. She mentioned that there was a time when her husband was away for an extended period of time (for work I think) and that she really struggled, herself, with that transition period when she’d first get home. She ended up finding someone who, for a bit of extra money, would be willing to be there when she got home and act as an extra pair of hands. It was a great idea!

The only stickler for me is that I don’t really like having more people around right at that transition time because it’s the time when I probably have the least amount of patience, and it would stress me out because, knowing me, I’d feel more like I needed to entertain whoever was helping me rather than let her actually help me. Plus, I didn’t really want someone to take away my responsibilities of being with the kids (that was the part that I actually wanted MORE of). But I did need/want help with the food prep and kitchen straightening.

So, I vowed that I would give myself a month to streamline my finances and put aside a little extra so that I could ask for that help. I also wanted to really think through my strategy; who would I want to ask? what would I want to ask for help with?

Two weeks ago I was ready to go forward with the plan. I decided that I wanted to offer the “job” to a teen who might be willing to earn a bit of extra cash on the side, because I know I would have LOVED to make a bit of extra money this way when I was a teen. And I was hoping that asking the teen of a mom who I already knew made great food would cause the least burden on that family; that making an extra couple of servings of dinner they were already making for their own family wouldn’t be too strenuous. But who would I trust to come into my home while I was away? I really didn’t have to think about that one very long.

A friend of mine, who I met through my Mother’s Group, had just started a food blog (Food with Pictures) and so the food thing I KNEW would be delicious, AND she had a teenage daughter who I knew was absolutely trustworthy and a sweetheart to boot. If I were going to give my money to anyone, this was the family!

So I reached out to my friend . . . and she accepted! HOORAY!!!

This was our first week of trying out the arrangement, and so far it’s been an absolute success! Tuesday, I came home to Creamed Chicken, fresh steamed broccoli and carrots, Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, and the most gorgeous strawberries and pineapples for dessert! DELICIOUS!

My kids were so excited to try something new and gobbled it all up. Plus, the bonus was there was enough for Wednesday night, too! And, never let me forget the fact that the dishwasher had been emptied, dishes that had piled up in my sink were put in the dishwasher, the dishwasher was run, the sink and countertops were all clean, and the table was set!

Last night we were treated to Chicken with Pasta, a soft and crusty loaf of bread, and scrumdiliumptious Sugar Cookies. Once again the dishwasher had been emptied out and all the dishes put away where they belonged! I didn’t even have to explain to her where things went – not sure how she figured that all out, but she did.

I cannot tell you what a relief it is not to have to worry about “What’s for Dinner” during the week anymore. In fact, I really like the fact that it’s kind of a surprise. (I do LOVE surprises). I watch my friend’s blog thinking to myself, “Oooh! I hope we get THAT this week!” or “Oh my goodness! I hope they made that for us!” I have something to look forward to on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and I now have more time (and less stress) at the end of the day to spend with my kids.

To the friend who originally made the suggestion, and to the Mom and Daughter who are doing the cooking and cleaning – A THOUSAND THANK YOUS!

You have given me the precious, immeasurable gift of a little more time in my life.

Chicken and Pasta!

Pin It

Cookie Cutter Traditions

I really, really, really HATE making sugar cookies.  Hate it.  Did I mention I hate making sugar cookies?  But three years ago I decided that it was a Christmas tradition I wanted to give my children.  Not that I remember making sugar cookies growing up.  I really don't remember it.  But we have the cookie cutters, so we must have - right? 

They are a handful of very thin, tin, slightly rusty, Christmassy shaped cookie cutters that were always in the top drawer of the kitchen in EVERY house we lived in.  And that's saying a lot, because we lived in a LOT of houses growing up (10, to be exact, thank you to the US Air Force).  And so while I never remember actually using these to make Christmas cookies, I do remember them being in the drawer.  I remember the clinking sound they made when I'd fish through the drawer looking for the egg separating thingy, or some toothpicks, or that one special spoon I needed to play tea with my dolls.  And remembering them being there became more of a tradition to me than actually using them for their intended purpose. 

Three years ago, when my mom handed down the "family cookie cutters" to me in a little red box with a ribbon tied around it, I nearly cried.  The cookie cutters!  She could have given them to anyone in the family, but she gave them to me, and that gesture meant the world.  I wanted to do these cookie cutters justice, so making Christmas sugar cookies seemed like a no-brainer.

Um . . . wait a second . . . anyone out there know my kids?  Anything involving sugar and flour and fingers and the possibility of imperfection . . . not going to have a good ending in my house.  The first year I tried these cookie cutters out Renton was 4, Emily was 2 and I was 8 months pregnant with Micky.  I probably don't even need to explain the myriad of mishaps in that adventure.  As a matter of fact, I don't really even remember it - except I have pictures that still make me laugh.  I think the mixer was on the floor, the cookie sheets on the table, and the flour on everything.

Two years ago, I thought I'd try again.  It was our first Christmas entirely on our own.  It was a great time to reinforce family traditions, right?  In fact, maybe that was the driving force behind my wanting to make these damnable sugar cookies to begin with.  I want my kids to have TRADITIONS.  I've been afraid that in a "broken home" they won't remember the traditions or I won't have time to build traditions.  And so I pull out the cookie cutters, I make the dough, chill it (often for too long) in the fridge, and then plop the dough down in front of the kids to get busy making these Sugar Demons.

I mean really.  Last year was much like two years ago - except that Micky spent most of his time screaming and flailing on the floor in his new found 18 month old mania.  Even more flour ended up on the kids and the kitchen, and the cookies were misshapen and broken, but tasted good.

12 months later and I must be suffering from holiday amnesia because I was eagerly looking forward to using these cookie cutters again.  Tradition, right?  This year, Renton was sent to his room three times after acting out because he couldn't shape his cookies perfectly.  (Did I mention that these cookie cutters really pretty much suck?  They're too narrow or too thin to cut well and most of the cookies fall apart on their trek from the cutter to the cookie sheet.  This is not a good thing for an OCD child.)  Micky just kept molding and re-molding his blob of dough (not gonna eat anything that came out of that dough) then smashing down Emily and Renton's cookies to make them "better".  Emily was actually a little angel and made her cookies very nicely, dusted them with sugar and happily watched them baking in the oven . . . then burst into tears because I only let her eat two and not three before going to bed. 

So what's driving me to use these cookie cutters?  What's driving me to keep making these sugar cookies that I hate and make my kids insane?  Tradition?  I don't even remember making sugar cookies growing up.  But we have these cookie cutters, so we must have - right?  Not really.  I'm realizing now that it's entirely possible that we had these cutters because one year my Mom thought it was a good idea to make sugar cookies for Christmas, then realized that with four children, it was just an impossibility.  They became a tradition to me simply by being in the top drawer of every house I lived in growing up.  So what is the tradition that my kids will take with them?  Who even knows - it's usually not what you think it will be.  There is no such thing as a cookie cutter tradition.

Pin It