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...