Multi-tasking To Extremes

All moms multi-task. It's a survival technique. But sometimes we just need to learn our limits. This actually happened a while back in a home that I know of.


The dog stinks. Bad. She needs a bath, and it was looking like a good time to do it. So I picked her up and carried her to the mud room sink. Oh look, there are buckets thawing to carry water to the stable and kennel.

I'd better start lunch, it's about noon.

Back to the buckets. The ice thawed enough to dump outside, so I threw the water out. (For all you Greenies out there, I was NOT going to recycle poopy water into my houseplants.) I wiped the buckets down and put them away for the swap-out with the next frozen batch.

Wait, the water should be boiling and the burger probably needs stirred. Put the pasta in the boiling water, and - whoa - the burger is nearly burned. Stir it up a lot and turn on the stove fan.

Find the dog and head back to the mud room. Commence to speed bathing the dog. Sure, she won't be the cleanest but she'll probably find something new to roll in within the day anyway.

Micah comes in and grabs a large black trash bag off the counter. What on earth could he use one of those for? "Micah, you don't need a trash bag." I may as well have been talking to the faucet. He walked out, did who knows what with it, and came back for another. I'm starting to get concerned here. He knows all about trash and loves helping with bags. Did he just dump a trash can on the floor trying to be helpful? If I go look quick the wet dog will jump out of the sink and streak across the house. Not an option.

The phone rings. Thankfully the dog is done but hasn't been toweled off yet. Wrap dog in towel, tuck under my arm and grab the phone. My shirt is now as wet as the dog. Hand phone off to daughter and towel dry dog. (Mentally wondering why on earth daughter did not get the phone to begin with.) Place towel in mud room laundry basket.

Stir pasta and rinse cooked burger. Drain pasta, mix all ingredients together, stir in sauce and notice a dog hair. Pick it out. Stir all things together. Notice another dog hair. Pick it out. Look down at shirt, see no dog hairs. Find yet another hair in the pasta.

I probably shouldn't have bathed the dog while trying to make lunch. I just won't tell the kids. They inhale things so fast that they probably won't notice what I didn't pick out. Unless of course they don't like lunch today, in that case I'm hosed.

27 comments:

Debbie @ Three Weddings said...

I was going to ask you for the recipe till you started describing the dog hair surprise! I think I'll pass.

In this house, mom multi-tasks and dad delegates. Some days strangling him is on my list of multi-tasking!

Bluepaintred said...

But... what did he need the garbage bags for??

Momisodes said...

Sounds like you need to clone yourself or grow an extra set of hands! That is some serious multitasking.

Jennifer said...

My question exactly.... You didnt tell us what he needed the garbage bags for.

I was watching a comedy thing the other day with Anita Renfroe, and she said something that struck me as so true.

She talks about going to the bathroom drawer with the intention of cleaning it out, finding something in the drawer that belongs in the closet. So you go to put it in the closet and while there you see the closet needs to be organized, and that you need to get more hangers. So you load up the kids and go to the store to get hangers, while at the store to get hangers you see something else, buy that but forget about the hangers, on the way home you go by the grocery store to get food for dinner, then while out you realize that it is also past lunch so you go by a FF place to get lunch, you get home make dinner and put the kids to bed, and come up stairs go in the bathroom to brush your teeth and see the bathroom drawer still open.

That is me. all the way.
~Jennifer

Karen said...

Jennifer - isn't that the truth!

As far as the bags - I never did find out what he needed them for. Neither did I find the bags. He's good at hiding things. But at least the trash wasn't dumped out.

Deanne said...

I probably shouldn't laugh, but I can't help it! I enjoy your way of writing and story telling. Thanks for giving me a smile today. :)

Lori said...

wow I was tired just reading that! hope you got to sit down and eat the lunch yourself

Unknown said...

Happened to someone you know, huh? Dog hair in the food? Did you eat any? Did the kids say anything? Did you ever find out what he was doing with those black trash bags? You left us hanging!

Cynthia said...

Gotta know the garbage bag project???

Burgh Baby said...

I figure as long as the humans don't start hacking up hairballs, it's all good.

OHmommy said...

I am laughing with you on this one. Really, I am.

We washed the dogs this morning, before preschool. LONG overdued. :)

Kellan said...

It's a "survival technique" - FOR SURE!! You are too funny!

Have a good day, Karen - Kellan

kimmy said...

I am an expert at mulit-tasking! I used to be able to nurse, cook and talk on the phone all at the same time!

FUN TIMES!!!!

Kimmy

Flea said...

It took me a long time to learn to multi-task. Drove husband nuts. Does NOT come naturally. Sounds like you do it well! Too well.

Tanya said...

Thats funny. I'm glad you survived it. Good thing kids aren't picky about what they eat. ;)

Wineplz said...

I could never figure out how I find a dog hair in the freshly washed dishes in the dishwasher. Or a cathair in Cooper's diaper at least once a week...it's not like those cats let him get anywhere near them! :)
But I agree...I think you take the cake on multi-tasking!

Cecily R said...

I know that moms are supposed to be great multi taskers, but I am kind of craptastic at it. Meaning that sometimes I am a typical do everything mom and sometimes I can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

I'm still super curious about the bags. Let me know in a few weeks when you find his hiding place...

Anonymous said...

I'm of the opinion we don't eat enough food laced with hair. Like they noticed. Good for you and your multi-tasking. I'm impressed.

Maria said...

OMG! That's funny! Good for you!

Betsy, short for Elizabeth, formally known as Esther said...

So very funny!!!

workingmommy said...

That was a very funny true story. I can definatley see that happening with the dog hair and all. Yeah eating a few pieces of hair doesn't hurt anyone.

Pam said...

Why do we moms do this to ourselves? We should try being the dads next time....that looks much easier! ;)

Andrea said...

I love it when men hold a baby and will say, "But i am holding a baby I can't get the phone, or make lunch, or break up that fight with the kids, i am busy!"
We are super moms!! We must have eight arms!! Great post!! I love the dogs sleeping.

ALF said...

That was exhausting just to read. Good thing you have a dog that you can tuck under your arm and carry...I don't think that would work with our 90lb. guy, Ralph...

Two Shorten the Road said...

Ha! My dog is stinky -- has been for a while now -- and I have far fewer excuses than you do. :)

Shellie said...

I would have burned lunch I bet. Such a familiar scene.

caramama said...

Ha! I love it! This is so true for us multi-tasking moms.

But bathing the dog while cooking... probably not the best combo for multi-tasking... although, dog or cat hair gets in our food all the time anyway!