My Best Idea Ever

I struggle daily trying to find enough time to keep the house up (laundry, dishes and cooking being the primary challenges here), care for my daughter and get a little rest, relaxation and creative time of my own. I’ve figured out that a thirty hour day would suit me much better than the current twenty-four hour one. But I think every mother has come to that realization before me. I watch that show, Jon and Kate Plus Eight sometimes and marvel at that woman’s ability remain organized and, in turn, my own inability. I only have one child, after all.

Lately my daughter has thwarted my every attempt to do the dishes (by hand, no dishwasher here) or make a meal. The minute I am standing upright at the kitchen counter she is by my side, tugging at my leg and throwing her head back with an angry cry. Last night I had to wear her on my hip in a sling in order to finish cooking dinner (I loved how she craned her head around to see everything I was doing). But slinging a twenty-fivish pound kiddo around can be taxing (I’m big into babywearing, don’t get me wrong, I used to wear her four hours or more a day when she would nap nowhere else).

So today, after a little trip outside (which is her favorite part of the day) to collect rocks and leaves, my daughter gave me my “best idea ever.” I had her bent over the bathroom sink and she was splashing her hands in the water. She loves water, taking baths is another great love of this girl’s.

That’s the crock from my crockpot, filled about a third of the way with lukewarm water and placed on a towel on the kitchen floor. I tossed in some small things (a bottle nipple, a lid, a jar gasket) and let her go. She threw out everything but the nipple and made good use of the towel that was on the floor, and her clothes as well, with her splashing. At one point she got bored and I was able to get her interested again by adding a spoon and a little plastic bowl. Meanwhile I almost managed to wash every dirty dish. And then it was time to make lunch. Ah, well.