Close Quarters

The other evening I had kids outside, a child in the tub, another doing homework, talking and asking questions and another one helping to prepare dinner and setting the table at my direction.  After a great deal of chasing it finally it became apparent that Nathan NEEDED to be strapped into his highchair during the final few minutes just before dinner; he was giving everyone a run for their money.  During this time I got a reminder of what it’s like during the summer with everyone home all the time… CLOSE QUARTERS!  As is my practice at meal time I had pulled the kitchen table away from the wall to enable my helper to set the table all the way around AND I moved the dishwasher earlier than usual so Nathan could sit in his highchair without pulling the dishes off the table during the wait.  Usually I move the dishwasher just to make room for the highchair at the table AFTER the table is set and people are washing their hands already and making their way from the bathroom to the table.  So now I had solved the problem of the toddler craziness but I’d created new issues.  My helper couldn’t get into the silverware so I moved the dishwasher in front of the sink but now I couldn’t reach the glasses and get the drinks of water onto the table so I moved it over again.  Then I couldn’t get the food out of the oven when the timer went off so I moved it over the other direction.  Now I had blocked the refrigerator to get out the fruit and milk.  So I moved it to the right and then nobody could get inside from the backyard.  I moved the dishwasher several feet forward and then it rested in front of the drawer with the kids plates that needed to be set still so we swung it close to Nathan again and had to catch the napkin basket that he was grabbing for.  Finally it was dinner time, the juggling game was over for the moment and I wondered if anyone else goes through this just to get a meal on the table for their family.  But one thing is sure… I’m glad I have a dishwasher after 14 years without one at all… I’m grateful it’s on wheels (flexibility and versatility) and I didn’t have to give up cupboard space… I’m happy that I get to be a Mom and feel lucky to need to find space for all five children…  I didn’t get the earliest start in having them.  And I don’t have a dirt floor like most women in this world have in their homes.  That always puts things in perspective for me.  And I just was watching a home improvement show last week where they were talking about the pluses of small kitchens (as they were ripping down a wall to make it bigger) and how everything is in close proximity, right at your fingertips in a small space and you don’t have to go very far for anything.  That made me feel better, sort of.  But I couldn’t help the thought that came to mind as I wondered if maybe Oprah couldn’t come to my rescue with a kitchen makeover anyway… after all, she’s done it for others with bigger kitchens than mine with smaller families than mine because they didn’t have to leave the table to clear it or they had to go to the basement a few times a year for pots and pans they couldn’t store in their kitchen for the “bigger meals” and that pesky holiday baking and cooking!  What?  I go to my basement several times a day just for cereal, a can of soup, a loaf of bread, a frozen can of juice or the big bucket of flour to make cookies and muffins.  But then again, if it ever stops raining long enough I can get out the tables from the garage so we can eat outside again (where we eat a great many meals during the warmer months).  And besides… I know how to be creative and maybe Oprah just doesn’t know about me… Plus I thought maybe, just maybe I’ve already got something even better.