Monday, January 07, 2008

Rachael Ray, Not!

I'd like to post, really I would. But considering it took me several minutes just to get to this page, it may not be a possibility. Not before midnight, anyway. This old set-up of ours is a tad temperamental. If I click on one browser tab and then change my mind and click on a second one before the first page loads, the computer gets annoyed and sort of freezes up and won't do anything. I guess it doesn't like it when I can't make up my mind. Or when I talk to it too much. You'd think we were married.

Even the keyboard is slower. It hates me.

I've been compensating for the less-than-pleasurable computer experiences by knitting more. Which activity is way more productive and doesn't make my husband worry about what I'm typing and who I'm "talking" to. I've started a pair of mittens (in the round) and a sweater (!) for Rachel. I don't really know what came over me, as I have never knit a sweater before. I didn't bother checking gauge, either - if it's too big, she can wear it next year; too small, and Susie can have it. There's a definite advantage to a knitter having numerous children of various sizes.

I'm working on finishing the second sock (go me!) of a pair, and I think I will start a scarf, too, just to keep busy. Because I don't have enough to do.

I outdid myself at dinner by making almost everyone cry (not Larry, though). The new vegetarian entree I made upset Brian greatly. Brian is the quintessential meat-and-potatoes sort of guy, a trait I usually find charming, but not when I have a migraine. David (the vegetarian, the one I made the meal for specifically) didn't like it and was crying because he was hungry and I was annoyed. Rachel cried because she wanted the leftover noodles from last night's potroast, but she didn't want the meat, and I said no. Susie cried just to keep everyone company. I finally quit the scene entirely and went upstairs and took a 2-hour nap. When the going gets tough, I run away.

I am never going to cook anything ever again. The hell with them. They can eat yarn.

29 comments:

  1. Are you going to post pictures of the finished products? I think you should. That way, I'll know what hand-knit sweaters look like.

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  2. Haha. I have this funny mental picture in my head of your family sitting there at the table....crying children...you, being really annoyed...and your your husband sitting there, minding his own business and eating his vegetarian dinner. I bet yarn has as much nutritional value as cake and probably tastes better than tofu...sounds like a meal to me. So, I say go for it!

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  3. That's how my Christmas dinner went. The first one with just us, no family. I spent four hours in the kitchen, by myself, cooking, and I was the only one who ate it. My husband managed to eat small amounts just so I didn't feel bad. The food was good just not stuff they like. Next year we'll go back to my mom's where all the adults eat the stuff I cook, only I won't be the only one cooking it.

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  4. Oh, the great food debate. We have those fights every. single. night. I, too, get to the point where I just walk away and declare that they can fend for themselves. It's ever and ever so heartening to hear other moms admit that they go through this, too.

    And you go, girl, with that knitting!

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  5. Love your sense of humor = "Let them eat yarn!" Funny stuff!

    I loved your comment about SURVIVING SURVIVAL school - I hadnt thought about it that way but you are SO RIGHT!!

    Thanks!

    Hallie
    http://wonderfulworldofweiners.blogspot.com/

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  6. Cooking is a major bone of contention in our household too. I hate doing it, but noone else is willing to give it a go. I don't want to eat what the kids like, and vice versa. It sucks. Let me know if yarn works.

    Heidi

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  7. Boy sometimes a nap is just the right medicine, don't you think? I would love to take up knitting. It's great for parents with little kids. You could really save some money making the sweaters! I just wouldn't know where to begin!

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  8. I don't know why - but the fact that you're compensating with knitting (swapping something very technical for something not) just made me giggle.

    Thanks ;)

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  9. maria - I don't knit to save money. I knit to stay sane.

    jen m. - You're right. It makes no sense.

    valarie - actually, there's this new type of yarn made of wool and soy. Very pretty, and probably of higher nutritional value than the 100 percent wool variety.

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  10. LOL about being married to the computer!! We just bought a new computer about 5 months ago, and splurged for high-speed internet, but it sure felt like a rusty-old marriage with the old computer!

    Thanks so much for your comments on my blog. You're absolutely right about it being 'the new me' will not be 'the old me.' I think that's what I'm trying to get used to - phasing into my 'new phase' of life. (ha, ha!)

    And yeah, me and perfectionism... we go hand in hand! I know that is one lesson I've been offered over the last few years, and I'm actually beginning to learn how to deal with it.

    Sorry about the nice dinner you made that was less than well received. I've had those, too! (Doesn't it just suck!?!)

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  11. I am getting to the point where I dread dinnertime. Making it, eating it, cleaning up after it. All of it...
    I enjoy knitting much more too ;)

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  12. Hmmm. Sounds like our responses to stress are similar. Friday night when I was sitting in the stupid car for an hour and a halff waiting for stupid CAA, I vowed I'd never drive my stupid car again. But of course, I will and of course, you'll cook again.

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  13. So I totally have the image in my head of the crying kids and you going to your room... oh wait, it's not an image it's my life, too. *sigh*

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  14. Well, I hear it tastes like chicken.

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  15. I fear if I dip into the food budget for yarn the kids WILL eat it. I'm lucky; my kids will eat almost anything. The problem is they will eat for hours and I spend my entire day cooking, serving, cutting, cleaning, serving, etc etc etc. Bottomless pits, they are.

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  16. I think you did the right thing. Knit them a pot roast and go take another nap. xo Ang

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  17. This is some kind of nightly occurrence with us, only there aren't as many of us. I HATE any meal time that involves A) cooking and B) children. I used to love to cook. Now I wish they could learn to microwave their own damn food.

    Bah, humbug. (Oh wait, wrong season.)

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  18. mrs. g. - I'm sitting here hating myself for not thinking of that joke first.

    barb - So, it's not just me...

    Today I was planning to feed them rice and beans 6 nights a week, just so they would really appreciate whatever I serve them on the seventh night.

    angelawd - I've got to go find me that pattern for the pot roast.

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  19. Food is always an issue. TOnight, I was lucky to please the whole crew with a pork tenderloin, rice pilaf, and corn. THEY ATE EVERYTHING!

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  20. "They can eat yarn." Ha!

    I can't tell you how many times a week I say, "This is not a restaurant. If you don't want to eat it, you can go without dinner."

    I should just have a sign made or something. Well, except most of them can't read.

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  21. Hey, you should have bought that laptop when you got the chance.
    I'm impressed that you were able to make all of them cry at once. How thorough.
    Tonight, I made a nice meal, everyone ate some, then an hour later I came in to the kitchen to see my kids snarfing down peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
    Why do I bother?
    Jill

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  22. As the old saying goes, "You can't please everyone!" I'd have gone to take a nap myself.

    Wool and soy yarn? Aye, aye, aye...that would make for some roughage.

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  23. Oh my gosh I SO hear your frustration. We have begun relying at lest once a week on the caterer across the street who makes fresh, good ingredient casseroles.

    Oh happy family.

    And LOL at "let them eat yarn."

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  24. Sue - I'm thinking of posting a sign that has a picture of a whining child inside one of those red circles with the line through it. That should get the message across to the non-readers, don't you think?

    jill - I don't know. I wish I did.

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  25. I actually have a poster in my classroom (it's pasted to the front of my desk, at the front of the room) that has the word WHINING with the red circle and line. You should totally pick one up.

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  26. Okay, go rent Austin Powers, the Spy Who Shagged Me. Go to the boardroom scene where Dr. Evil and Scott are arguing and Scott can't make a single sound because Dr. Evil keeps coming up with different ways to say "zip it."

    A child starts to whine, we nip it in the bud with a "zip it," sometimes followed up with a couple more. It works!

    Dr. Evil: paragon of paternity.

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  27. You sure you didn't get sucked into my body for just a while and then wake up in your own body again? Freaky! Except usually we can't even get everyone at the table at the same time, but we can get them all to cry at once, wherever they're at. Yarn...hmmm, that's one I'll have to think about. I saw the cutest box of chocolates made out of ribbon and stuff once, so why not knit a good nutritious dinner?

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  28. I have one of thos "no whining" signs in my kitchen.
    It doesn't work.
    Jill

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  29. I've never seen Austin Powers, but I looked up the "zip it" scene on YouTube.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=32C0eKRQVt8

    Sounds like a good family motto to me!

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