It’s been a rough week. We’ve had some puking on the two-year-old’s part, some general “I don’t feel good at all” sickness on the adults’ part, way too much laundry, and a kitchen that hasn’t ever been completely clean since last Saturday. Add in tennis season (meaning an extra busy and stressed Nik) plus a couple days of the two-month old being extra needy and yesterday afternoon, we had a fairly desperate mama at her wit’s end.
Enter, “Ellie, do you want to do the dishes?” (I’m not sure why I never let her do them before but she was thrilled at the idea! She loves cleaning, clearly.)
She loved doing the dishes. She was so committed to her job that even though Nik got home right after she started washing, she kept on working rather than playing with him. She also kept demanding more dishes to wash and got a little upset with me when I took something out of the drainer because I needed to use it. Nik started washing the dishes with her and thankfully, between the two of them, they got a lot done.
Later after she’d had enough and had jumped down, we needed a knife for dinner so Nik started to wash it. Ellie looked at him, quite upset, and said, “Ellie’s dishes!!” as in, “Hey, only I wash dishes around here.”
Sorry child. You’re not even two and a half. We’re not going to let you wash the knives.
We’re also planning to show her this blog post when she’s thirteen and complaining about us making her wash the dishes.
I may never get to wash dishes by myself again.
In related news, Mark thankfully was willing to sleep out of my arms for a couple hours last night so while Nik was catching up on work for school and the tennis team, I was finally able to completely clean the kitchen. I even scrubbed the sink!
Today I feel much better. I had a lovely time with a good friend this morning, the kitchen is clean, I don’t have any baking projects going and our only goal for today is to fold one load of laundry. This is also my very long explanation for why there will be no KIOS post this week. We’ll hope for that for next week!
Note to self: It’s probably not a good idea to decide to make sourdough bread and sourdough crackers and go to playgroup, all in the same day when your house is already a mess with a kitchen full of dishes. You do have a two-month old, by the way.
Salmon and Souvlaki 
We had that stomach bug at the end of last week. It was definitely not fun.
I’m sorry you guys were sick, Sepideh! It’s DEFINITELY not fun! I hope you’re all over it now.
And a two year old!
Treu Mom – but the 2-year old helps me make bread and cracker and doesn’t need to nurse all the time! 🙂
I feel for you with the sickness! Avery went through a big dish washing stage, but when Delaney got big enough to want to join in (though too short and unsteady to do so) I distracted him with a big tub of play beans. We have about 3 gallons of pinto beans in a big under the bed tub. I keep an old sheet in the tub for a floor cover. A bonus is that if we ever have a huge earthquake the beans will add to our emergency food stores. Delaney may have eaten a few of the beans……
That sounds awesome Crystal! I’ve been meaning to get something of that sort going for Ellie anyway – I’ve heard kids this age love sorting, pouring, etc. I’m definitely going to use the sheet as floor cover idea! Thanks!
Isn’t it great when your little ones help out? Some times their help results in more work for you but occasionally it pays off! Plus it’s good to instill those helpful habits in them early on.