Monday, February 1, 2010

What to do with an extra hour every day...

Isn't it the dream of every mom -- more time in the day? Thanks to my wonderful husband, as of Saturday, I now have an extra hour in my day! He installed our Christmas present to each other.



Okay, so it's probably not the most sentimental gift we've given each other over the years, but I haven't been this excited about a new appliance... ever. I have been without a dishwasher for about two years, and really it wasn't much of a dishwasher before it died. But we kept putting off buying a new one because there always seemed to be something more important to spend our money on.

Besides, if Ma Ingalls can wash her own dishes by hand, I should be able to as well. When I'm trying to be practical I often think of Ma Ingalls -- deep down I really wish I had grown up on the prairie, I just don't think I would have been very good at it.

But see, here's the difference. They didn't have dishes. In Little House on the Prairie we learn that Laura and Mary had to share a tin cup when they made their move from the big woods . My kids would rather die before having to share a cup. Sometimes Ryne even gets grossed out if Grace's cup is too close to his cup. Ma Ingalls would probably faint if she saw how many cups we have.

Oh, I know, some people really do live without dishwashers just fine. Apparently, I'm just not one of them, so I finally gave in to my husband's pleading. And I love it! I don't even need to rinse before putting the dishes in!!!

So now I have a whole extra hour (or more) added to my day!!! Sadly, I really need an extra 24, but this will do for now. What should I do with that hour? Hmmm... maybe I could finally be consistent with blogging. Or clean the laundy room. Or sort through old photos. Or come up with some neat projects for the kids workboxes. Or work on the basement project. Or...

Now I'm starting to get depressed. Why does an hour seem so long when you're washing dishes, but so short when you you're trying to figure out how to fill it?

What would you do with an extra hour in your day?

6 comments:

  1. I'm so happy for you! A dishwasher is one of those things we can live without, but it's nice when we don't have to.
    If I had an extra hour each day, I would probably dedicate it to blogging.

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  2. I would read. Reading seems to be the thing that gets pushed out daily. And, I'd hope that my extra hour was during the first half of the day so I wouldn't fall asleep while reading:-).

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  3. Our family of 6 has been living with a super tiny mini-dishwasher. I have to do at least two loads a day and then hand wash some on top of that. I complain about our tiny one but can't imagine not having one at all.

    An extra hour? Maybe actually work-out instead of just thinking about it.

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  4. Hi Kellie. I've been reading your blog quietly for a while and love it. I got my first ever dishwasher (a gift from a very special friend who wanted to find us that extra hour) a year ago and I love it. It has meant we are all more relaxed around dinner and bedtime for the kids, I have a clearer head because my kitchen bench stays tidy all through the day and as for the extra time, I have done a little reading. Hooray for dishwashers.

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  5. Are you saying you didn't have a dishwasher at all prior to this? Really?

    I'm so impressed. I'm way too lazy to wash dishes by hand.

    And I would probably read a good book with that free hour! At least, I would want to read a book. I'm not sure my children would let me!

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  6. If I had a dishwasher, I wouldn't get to wash the dishes while I listen to Jeff read to the kids after dinner. I wouldn't get away with only having only four cups and two glasses used in any one day (unless we have visitors, of course). I wouldn't get to admire the storks foraging in the overgrown canal outside my kitchen window, and hear the Banjo Frogs call each evening.

    But to have an extra hour in my day...

    No, I'd probably just waste the hour. I think I'll appreciate my lack of a dishwasher more for this post, so thank you Kellie, for helping me to be more content.

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