I have a maid in my home, that almost never was.
I grew up as the dishwasher.
I remember fighting with my sister over doing the dishes.
I remember her growing up and moving away and being alone at the kitchen sink.
When I grew up and away myself, I still didn't have a "mechanical" dishwasher.
I was the automatic dishwasher and sometimes not so automatic.
Married, our first apartment did not have a dishwasher.
Doing dishes, was definitely less a chore, with a hubby beside me sharing the job.
Sometimes, I would wash and sing and he would join me.
Sometimes, I would hear him in the kitchen singing and washing...
Something that doesn't seem to happen so often with a dishwasher. It is done and over so quick. While being forced to pause at the sink and focus on the task at hand. How it would quiet me.
Sometimes, I wash by hand now, just for the time of quietness.
The day came we welcomed Fun Girl into our home.
All the baby gear started to make the apartment feel cramped.
So Daddy O and I started home shopping.
Unable to find a 3 bedroom on the same floor, we looked into new construction.
New construction comes with all sorts of hidden expenses.
First up was picking the appliances.
Dishes had never bothered me, but cleaning stoves always has.
I discovered smooth top stoves and fell in love.
I did the math and asked hubby if I could have the smooth top and in exchange we wouldn't get a dishwasher. I had done dishes by hand my whole life and it was no big deal. My mother was dumbfounded. In shock and exclaimed, "You didn't!" Fortunately, my mother didn't have any heart problems and hubby declined my offer.
Instead he granted me the smooth top stove, and insisted on a dishwasher. I still didn't get why having a dishwasher was all that important. You see, I still had a lot of time on my hands and just didn't know any better.
Well a lot has changed over the last 16 years.
If my dishwasher broke down tonight, all would be well.
We would manage.
My kids might think the earth would swallow them whole, but they would survive.
My dishwasher runs 2-3 times a day. We are talking 7 people 3 meals a day!
But it doesn't just wash dishes.
Over the years, it has sanitized:
tooth brushes
baby bath toys....this is a blessing like none other!!
baby toys in general ....same thing....nothing like disinfecting toys while napping with the babies!
brushes and combs
sink stoppers and pampered chef scrapers
science lab equipment
and sometimes...you just don't know what you will find when you open the door!
My dishwasher has enabled me to enlist my children in the dish washing earlier than planned.
When they are too little to reach the faucet, they are still big enough to put plastic ware away. They are still big enough to put silver ware away. They are big enough to hand me the glasses and plates. All at the same time helping, and learning that a family works together and plays together.
