My Dishwasher Broke...Well, Crap!!

Most of us know how it is during the summer with the kids at home. I admit, I am lucky as I can work from home and be with them. But each summer begins the same and ends the same. In the beginning, my days are filled with being grateful for many, small but wonderful things- like not having to wake up at 4:45 AM to make sure everyone gets to school on time. Like not having to rush around to get everyone breakfast and lunches. I get extra hugs and I get to see my kids and... I cook. Ok, cooking- I do that anyway soooo.... I can handle that. But, NutriKids are older now and NutriSon is a teenage boy. Does anyone know how much a teenage boy eats?! What used to be enough for a meal and leftovers is now devoured for the meal, then the rest later that night when I am asleep. It's as if I never feed them. STILL, I can do this! I love summer! I love my kids! Then, tragedy happened.

Don't Know What You Got Til' It's Gone OK, before I even explain, does anyone else know who sang that song? If you do, don't comment but I know you also had big hair like me. About halfway through summer, our dishwasher just died. I saw it coming and one of my friends even told me it would happen. According to her "Yeah, we bought the same dishwasher and the motor died after a year. Good luck." Did I listen? Nope. It was cheap and we could get it home that day so we bought it....one year later, we are in the same boat. I honestly thought I could tough it out for awhile. Well, I did for a bit. I thought it would give me a sense of being humble....how stupid of me. I say this not to sound snobby but because, as fellow food allergy parents know, THERE ARE ALWAYS FREAKING DISHES! It stresses me out! (I wrote a previous post on the subject, just click) I'm sure it stresses you out too. It went something like this:

Week 1:  OK, this isn't so bad. The kids will just dry whatever is in the rack. It'll work, we'll save a bit of money for awhile.

Week 2:  Wow, I didn't realize how much I really cook. And, how many dishes I use when I cook. And how small the dish rack is... It's ok. Everybody has pitched in, they are drying. My kitchen is just a little more messy than usual.

Week 3:  OK, really? REALLY?! I cannot wake up one more day and see dishes- on the counter, in the sink "HEY!! WHO KEEPS FILLING UP THE ENTIRE SINK? I CAN'T WASH THEM IF THERE'S NO ROOM!" And what is that smell? I can't get rid of it...baking soda, lemon juice, boiling water- it's still here! People are going to walk into my house and think I don't even know what. And how am I going to take my food photos when my kitchen looks like it puked on itself?! (breathing, walking outside, pacing...) A voice in the distance Mom, I'm hungry (turning blue, breathing, sighing, opening something frozen. Thank goodness we have chicken nuggets!)

"Dishes" It, I Give Up ......even families like the Duggars who have a ton of kids to help do dishes are also STILL washing dishes! There are probably Amish people somewhere right now washing dishes and I am complaining about it but I can't, I just can't... Not to mention that having a dishwasher is a HUGE help with making sure that there is no cross contamination with any foods that my son is allergic too. One morning, I made myself eggs (he is allergic) and I realized that I had no way to clean everything unless I got a new sponge, cleaned out the sink and wiped everything down with wipes whereas, with a dishwasher, it's rinse, put into the dishwasher, push the little button. Am I spoiled? Am I whining? Maybe but I am not too proud to say, I give up.

Wash Your Sadness Away Just as I was about to turn into a scene from Mommy Dearest, I got a call about a dishwasher. I have never driven so fast in my entire life. And although NutriHubby was on vacation (and I know he probably thought horrible, evil thoughts about me when I asked) he just sighed and got to work hooking up the new dishwasher. I appreciated it. I calmed down. I felt like everything in the universe was beginning to go back to it's normal balance. Does anyone else know where I'm coming from? I mean, if your kitchen looked like this all summer, wouldn't you be losing your mind just a little? Tell me, please- tell me I'm not just a crazy blogger who still loves what she does.

On the plus side, we had Spinatos pizzas ;)