Sep 11, 2010

Helping Hands

This morning as I was making breakfast I thought I should involve the kids as they would learn something and I could use some extra hands. The conversation goes like this:
Me:"Hey kids anybody wants to help Mommy with cooking?"
Kids: "Me! me! me!"
Me: "Good! Switch off the TV and comon' over"
Kid 3: "Then I don't want to help" (stays with the TV)
Me: (Thinking) "That's fine, one less trouble"
Kid 1 & 2: "Ok, what can I do?"
Me: "How about learn to make the chutney?"
Kid 1 & 2: "Me! me!"
Me: "I only need one person to work on the chutney; while the other can help with the sambar"
Kid 1: "What kind of help with the sambar?"
Me: "You can cut some tomatoes!!"
Kid 1: "Where are the tomatoes?"
Kid 2: "Ok now what do I do with the chutney?"
Me: "Get the green chillies" (I said in Tamil "Pachai Milagai")
Kid 2: What is that? Is is the leaf thingy? (She means the curry leaf)
Me: "No! The leaf thingy is the 'churry leaf'. Get that too. We need
it for seasoning. Pachai milagai is the green chillies"
Kid 2: "Oh! you could have said that first"
Me: "You have to know the Tamil equivalent too"
Me to Kid 1: "So, Have you started with the tomatoes?"
Kid 1: "I asked you where they are"
Me: "Look for it in the fridge or check in the garden or look in the freezer. you should know it already"
Kid 1: (Reluctantly opens the refrigerator): "They are all over the place; they are all spilt; they are not in a bag!!"
Me: "Don't worry about it, just grab a handful in a bowl"
Kid 1: "Where is the bowl?"
Me: "Go and get one; bowl won't just come to you at your call"
Kid 1 to Kid 2: "Can you get me a bowl?"
Me: "Here you go!" (handing her a bowl)
Kid 2: "So, what do I do with the green chillies?"
Me: "Wash them; Remove the stems; put it in the blender with coconut
and blend it"
Kid 2: "Where is the coconut?"
Me: "Thawing in the microwave"
Kid 2: "Yeaw! I am not touching that; can you put it here in the blender?"
Me: "Ok here you go; now blend it! oh! we need a pulse of garlic"
Kid 2: "Can you please peel it for me?"
Me: "Here you go, this is how you peel garlic"
Kid 1: "Yeaw! look there is a hole in this tomato!"
Me: "That's okay, wash them all; I will take care of it"
Kid 1: "I am not touching that one; It is so gross"
Me: "Let me take that one off; you can handle the rest!"
Kid 1: "Yeaw! What is this sticky thingy?"
Me: "Oh! it is nothing - just a dried up stem from another tomato that just looks sticky because you wet them"
Kid 1: "Yeaw! What's that?" (Pointing to another tomato)
Me: "Let me see, oh! that's just a piece of onion peel"
Kid 1: "So gross, I am not touching it, and I am not touching the one with the sticky thingy and I am not touching the one with the hole in it"
Me: "Ok, then quickly cut the rest, I need it NOW! (voice getting louder)
Kid 1: "I quit!; I quit helping you! I quit cooking!"
Me: ??!!
Kid 2: "Ok, I am done with the grinding... what's next?"
Me: "Great! Thank you! Now put the blender away and wipe off the table"
Kid 2: "Mhm mhm, can you please do it?"
Me: "Okay, thank you! Wait and see the chutney will be so yummy!" Calling
out to Kid 1: "And the sambar will be yummy too!"
Sure they are great helpers! Only thing is I needed a few extra hands just to help them...
Cast: Kid 1: 11 years Kid 2: 9 years Kid 3: 7 years Me: Just a few years older...

14 comments:

SG said...

Nice one. Enjoyed reading it. This is what called quality time with family during the weekend. You should have videotaped the while thing. These 3 kids will have a big laugh if they see after a few years.

By the way, where was your fourth kid? I mean your husband. There is a saying in the Vedas. It goes like this: "Dasasyaam puthranadehi pathim ekaa dasankrithi". Translation: Even after giving birth to ten children, treat your husband as your eleventh child. That means feed him and take care of his needs. At the same time, if he is misbehaving, give him a good kick in you know where, as you would do to your other kids.

Haddock said...

..... . . . . and in the bargain they learn a thing or tow.
Its always nice to get them involved in some house hold activities.

NRIGirl said...

Thanks SG! Kid 4 was sleeping while this was going on... He was just up on time for breakfast so he missed the scene completely. :)

NRIGirl said...

Hello Haddock! Welcome to my blog! I briefly visited yours and was delighted to see the bird story. Will be back at leisure to learn in detail about your birds.

Check back as often as you can.

~ NRIGirl

Amrit said...

Good change from your regular posts...smiled all the way...kids are bosses these days.

Samvedna said...

Its really fun to work with children, in the process we also learn so manyt hings:)

NRIGirl said...

True to the point @A & @Samvedna! Appreciate your comments.

raji said...

oh my..u have lot of patience;i cant bear my one kid doing even a little mess,and i wonder how have u borne all this by them? but anyways its a nice thing u introduced them to kitchen.

Latha Nair said...

This brought a smile..
I'm sure I must have been
equally 'helpful' to my Mom
in my younger days :)

Y L said...

had a good laugh!

God bless you all.....

NRIGirl said...

Hi Latha! Indeed that would have been "me" years ago... Morphing into motherhood sure changes us a lot!

NRIGirl said...

Welcome back Amma! Long time no see...

I can visualize how you must be beaming with pride on Kid 3 more specially than Kid 1 & Kid 2 and finally Me.

Sangeeta S. said...

Great.. I could totally relate to this experience :)

NRIGirl said...

I am glad you could stop by and care to leave a comment Sangeeta. Thank you!

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