Family Chocolate jobs

I am rejigging the morning routine. Last term our mornings were hectic, cranky, stressed and too short. Sooooo....

We are all getting up half an hour earlier. (Yes, I have to go to bed earlier to make up for it...) The extra time gives us the space to get all the jobs done and eat breakfast comfortably.

Instead of straining to hear the news on the radio, we have given up Adam Spencer and 2BL (sniff sniff) and are playing gentle classical music instead. This makes everyone less tense and gets rid of early morning information overload. We feel more relaxed as we eat and get ready.

With all the extra time, I have instituted a new tradition - Family Chocolate Jobs. We all gather in the kitchen and work together to unload the dishwasher.

Obviously, different ones are capable of different things. I’ve considered it a success so far if the two year old will stay in the room and a brilliant success if Bright Eyes the four year old will take glasses back and forth in his toy dump truck! The bulk of the work is done by daddy and daughter.

At the end, we have a family hug and congratulate each other, and then have a small square of (dairy free gluten free) chocolate before heading into the lounge room for a half hour of morning kids TV.

My mother is a gem

Here is a reason to be sick. Your mother may come to visit and clean your kitchen for you.

My mother has the gift of cleaning.

She finds dirt that I cannot see (or perhaps choose to ignore) and she removes it.

She reminds me to buy new, shiny dishcloths and more dishwashing liquid so that next time she comes she won't have to work with substandard equipment.

She rubs and scrubs until the entire kitchen shines. It is something I seem unable to achieve for myself, so I am very grateful when it happens for me via her capable hands.

There is an upside to feeling sick.