Why I do the Dishes...

**Sorry to be so late on this post--it should have been up on Friday, and I wish I had an interesting excuse for not doing it on time, but my list of things to get done before Christmas is too long to mention here, so just know that I didn't forget, I just flat out didn't get it done! :) So the topic for this week is not dishes again, but I couldn't let the topic of dishes go by without saying something--and I could have said more, much more! 

On the list of things to do, washing the dishes is always present. I rarely write it on my list, along with folding the laundry, because what is the point, right? Once they are done, they must be done again! But I will let you in on one little secret--the trick to preventing dirty dishes from piling up is this: unload! Who would have thought that the biggest culprit in creating a messy kitchen is not actually your hungry children or your busy husband and all the dishes they dirty, it's the clean dishes sitting in the dishwasher preventing you from getting the dirty ones in it! Yes, it takes less than five minutes, but it is the most important step--finishing the job. I don't know why it is so hard for me to get those dishes from the rack and put them in the cupboard, but sometimes I just don't get it done... and that's when the piles start and the cluttered messiness of a well-fed family consumes my counters. But, at least I can look at those piles and know that we've eaten something yummy that day, right?

My husband used to be really great about helping wash the dishes. But then I made a huge mistake--one of many marital mistakes I must admit--and I criticized his dish-washing abilities. I think I said something like, "I'm grateful that you help with the dishes but I think you are the slowest dishwasher I know." He doesn't do the dishes nearly as much now. Lesson learned.

photo found here

Even though I often dread doing the dishes, I often find myself grateful for the time it gives me to think. I feel similarly about folding the laundry. When my hands are busy, so is my mind, and when I get into a rhythm, I find my thoughts are more focused and come more clearly. This is, however, not always the case when little children are present. So I do a lot of dishes and folding at night, after they are in bed.

I  have plenty of plastic dishes--they are a must with young kids, aren't they? I don't know...I grew up drinking from real glasses, glass glasses. And now I must be spoiled, but I really don't like drinking from anything else. Jason and I received four crystal classes as a wedding gift and we don't save them for special occasions, we use them every day. And my mom always has nice, heavy, ceramic dishes.  I have tried using Correlle Ware for about a year now, and it's just not the same. It might be practical, but it doesn't give the same satisfaction to a meal as a beautiful ceramic plate does. Feed me macaroni and cheese on a Correlle plate and it's just mac 'n cheese. Put it on a solid ceramic dish and that simple meal is transformed into something gourmet! As someone who enjoys cooking and loves to feed people, the satisfaction of a meal is so much more complete when it looks as good as it tastes. Beautiful dishes can add a lot to the presentation of a meal. And cleaning them is so much more enjoyable too!