The Microwave~Mommy’s little helper

I consider the microwave mommy’s little helper.  Living with three children and a messy husband, my microwave is a very big helper.  I never realized how much I rely on the microwave until I didn’t have one anymore.  Last Friday our microwave finally left this world for a better place.  It had been threatening retirement for a long time.  So, when it finally cashed in its 401k, I learned a thing or two about the revered microwave.

At first, I thought that it was no big deal.  I could manage for a little while without one.  Hey, I’ve done it before and I could do it again.  Little did I know, I rely on that stupid little nuclear appliance more than I thought.  Over the weekend, I found out just how much I really do need a microwave in my life.

Saturday morning breakfast was easy.  Some cereal in a bowl, add some milk and a spoon and voila…breakfast is served.  However, lunchtime was a different story.  With three children, all wanting something different at three different times, lunchtime was a nightmare.

My youngest son, Austin, wanted Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs.  Okay, I can handle that.  I removed the plastic top on the single serving can, peeled back the tin top, replaced the plastic lid, and proceeded to head toward the microwave.

“Uh, mom, it’s not working.  Remember?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot.”

So, I opened the cabinet next to the stove, removed a saucepan and dumped the spaghetti and meatballs into the pan.  As I began to warm up my sons’ lunch, I thought about all the extra dishes that I’d have to do.

“This isn’t fair,” I thought.

Instead of having to wash one fork, now I have to wash a fork, a pan, and a mixing spoon.  I was starting to miss my microwave.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook meals for my family.  But, making so many meals for a family on the go isn’t easy.  Sometimes, I just need a little help.

My oldest son was on a tight schedule.  He wasn’t going to be home to eat lunch with his brother.  He had to go to wrestling practice.  So, by the time he returned home, he wasn’t very hungry.  He just wanted some soup for lunch, nothing too heavy.  Normally, I would put the soup in a bowl and pop it in the microwave and nuke it until it’s hot.  Not being able to do that anymore, I went to the sink and washed the saucepan from before.  When his soup was hot, I ladled it into a bowl for him and placed it on the table.  Now, I had used a saucepan twice, a mixing spoon, a ladle, a bowl, a fork, and a spoon.

Then, my husband woke from his long winter nap searching for food.  He foraged through the fridge and cabinets finally deciding on leftover chili.  While he so generously heated up his own lunch, I sat by and watched the dishes pile up in the sink.  He didn’t wash the saucepan that I had used.  He pushed that one to the back burner of the stove and replaced it with a shiny, clean pot.  When he had finished creating his masterpiece of a mess, he sat down and slurped and smacked his lips until there was no more chili left in his bowl.  He then proceeded to abandon his dirty dishes in the sink to await my arrival.  By this time, I wanted to scream and run away from home. Did I mention the three cups that were used?  Add those to the pile and it’s a load of unnecessary dishes that I have to wash.

Last on the list was my daughter.  She had just walked in the door from a rough morning of shopping with her girlfriends.  She decided that she was going to make herself grilled cheese sandwiches and soup.  Need I say that she didn’t wash any dishes either?  Probably not.  I’m sure, by now, you’ve come to that conclusion.  Instead, she pulled out the griddle and made herself two grilled cheese sandwiches and some tomato soup.  In her wake, she left the kitchen an even bigger mess than it was before.  Between the overflowing sink full of dishes, griddle on the stove, and crumbs everywhere, my house was slowly becoming a disaster area.

By this time, I was reluctant to feed myself.  Needless to say, I was really missing my microwave.  It made things so much simpler.  This battle went on all weekend and into the first part of this week.  I found myself looking at the empty spot where “Sir Nukes a-lot” used to sit and feeling sad.  I finally broke down and bought a new microwave.  What can I say, I’m weak.  I don’t like doing all those needless dishes.  And, believe me, there was at least three sink loads of dishes per day for six days.  The microwave is a godsend in my house.  I’ve come pretty close to worshiping the nuke god.  I’m sure that you can sympathize with me or at least understand why I feel this way.

With all the extra, needless cleaning that I did this past week, I pray to God that no other parent has to go through what I have gone through! LOL  The microwave may not be a necessity to some people.  But, in my house, I cannot live without it.  For my sanity, and the sake of my children, the microwave is a must have appliance.

Like my husband says, “if mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy.”  Now that I have a new microwave, mama’s definitely happy again.  So, my family can rest easy for a while.

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