How To Make Dinner With A Toddler
1) Irrationally hope for the best. Give him toys while you start dinner.
2) 4 minutes after that tactic fails, put in a DVD. Long live Elmo!
3) 2 minutes after Elmo fails, encourage a sing-a-long-you're-screwed tune.
4) Reluctantly unlatch 1 childproof cabinet.
5) Allow him to obliterate the kitchen.
6) Quickly, throw something together.
7-12) Repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed.
13) If all else fails, allow toddler to humiliate the dog**. Again.
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That was fun, and it brought back memories! I wonder how many moms actually sit down to a hot meal before their kids are 4 years old!
God bless.
Funny, sounds way too familiar!
I miss those days.
Cute TT.
are you serious? oh. my. gosh. i just didn't see that in your words - in the comments - on my blog. wow. hang in there sister.
Oh yeah, still living it! Great list.
That is SOOOOOOOOOOOO my life! I can add: "How to put on makeup with a Toddler" and show the contents of my bathroom cabinets all over the floor, too! :)
I remember! Now that mine are older, they still want to 'help'. It now takes about an hour to put dinner together and most of the time I only have about fifteen minutes....
Great pictures. I really like the one of the dog, you'll be happy you have these pics when they're older!
That dog is so cute and tolerating!
My little guy does the same thing- obliterate the cabinets, I mean- and then stand directly behind me so every time I move, he gets knocked down and then cries. Ugh.
Sometimes I just make cereal for all of us when my husband is working!
Those were the days my friend, I thought they'd never end...
but they did! :)
Cooking time with toddlers, always fun. Ha Ha!! Just wait until they want to help.
I am so right there with you!! You know, when I actually cook...
Love the dog picture. Don't miss the fixing dinner with a toddler. This too shall pass!
TM
Oh, poor puppy! Still, it looks kinda fun. Thanks for visiting my TT.
The tupperware cabinet was always a life saver when I was trying to make dinner with toddlers.
HA! Poor pooch
it's good to know I'm not the only one!
I have used the practices many times at my house too. Your dog is SO cute!
I like your blog, I will be back to visit!
Lol...that was a great list. My kids are all grown up, but I remember those days.
Great list!!
Happy TT!!
All these nostalgic moms with kids all grown up are scaring me...am I really going to miss these days? Aack.
Looks like a little busy body. Your dog is so patient! How was dinner?
I so remember. I really, really do. Don't worry, when they are teenagers you can't get them to move at all. Have a great TT. :)
Oh my goodnessm God bless you. When I saw your pic I don't know how I ever got through that stage, but the pic makes me miss those stages.
Oh, how funny! Great post, my friend!
I unlatch that childproof cabinet ALL the time! It's really the only way, ya know?
LOL..I love it! Great post!
very cute...I totally remember those days.
Happy Thursday!
so familiar. my son doesn't humiliate the dog, though...he bams her with light sabers...but, she retaliates...she uses a bone as a sword!!
fun stuff!
Thank God for older siblings. They help keep the 2 year old entertained.
Of course, now I have 3 little helpers who want to crack eggs, stir and generally annoy the snot out of the cook.
Very funny! I remember those days when my kids were little. Happy TT!
Great picture! When my kids were little I had one drawer in the kitchen that just had stuff they could play with. Wow. That's been a while, and I had forgotten till your post revived the memory. Thanks!
OMG...that is too funny. I totally remember those days. Its hard to cook dinner with a teenager too...you cant keep them out of the kitchen long enough to get anything done because they want to constantly pick at the food:) Happy TT my friend.
Adorable and the PERFECT post!! Take care - Kellan
Oh, I can so relate. And unfortunately, so can all of our pets.
Ha ha . . . I'm glad to see no pets were harmed. Too funny. When making dinner (if I am ever so lucky), I might strap J in a the carrier and let him "make" dinner with me until he screams, put him in the highchair until he screams. Put him in the Exersaucer until he screams. Put him in the swing until he screams. Then I scream and call for pizza.
Oh wow..so you have been watching me cook dinner..
Sound advice. I'm sure it worked like a charm.
We do this every day...
Although Elmo usually works for about 10 minutes around here :)
Bradley
The Egel Nest
Brillant post. Super cute picture of the dog.
oh and I recognize several things on your floor. WE have much of the same. :)
Have you been spying on us or something? ;)
You are truly great! Love your writing style, so true, yet so entertaining! Love it, love it...you got everything down pat! Good to see the dog loves the attention!
So, so cute. :)
Heidi
LOL!!!
Heh. Boy, it's nice to have kids old enough to entertain themselves while I'm making dinner... or better yet, old enough to be of real help. :)
Hang in there--toddlerhood lasts a lot less time than it seems like. :)
Haha, that was soo true. He's too cute, and the doggie too.
Or you could strap the toddler down like I do (bouncer or highchair) and listen to the wails and screams the whole time you are cooking. Good times.
Love the pics! I think I want to adopt your dog. Are you willing? Probably not.
You nailed that one right on the head. And our husbands wonder why most food is instant during the toddler years . . .
I'm fortunate. All of my children love to watch me make dinner. Occassionally they ask to help mix something but it's never really that bad. My toddler is probably the best one.
It can definitely get chaotic I will admit that.
www.marnini.wordpress.com
Those were the days. I'd gladly trade in the teen years for the toddler years again.
BTW I didn't know your dog is Jewish ;-)
Ohmygosh! What a riot (from the outside looking in), and of course a sense of humor helps too, right? I just LOVE dogs. Great picture!
Hugs and blessings,
I am really really lucky. When I am in Indonesia, I have a girl that lives with me to help around the house and cook.
But here in Malaysia, I know exactly what you mean.
Hi!
When my boys were little I bought them some play food (I think Fisher Price) and a small pretend stovetop. They would "cook" their dinner while Mommy cooked hers. Did keep them busy for awhile!
Lizzy
HAHA! That was great!! I can SO relate to that one!!
Sounds like our household! :)
Cute! That puppy is such a good sport :)
omygoodness....ain't it the truth! LOL
The fact that you tried to "throw together" anything at all is valiant, lady. I've blacked out most of the toddler years, but I remember a lot of take-out.
At first, I thought the dog was wearing a yarmulke.
I have a baby gate across my kitchen door. I know that probably makes me a bad mother -- not letting my kids (actually just my 2 year old) participate in cooking. But the rest of the house is childproofed -- so I let him destroy everything besides the kitchen while I cook.
Very cute and so true. I have 5 little ones and this is the reason I don't cook. My hubby does. And the few times I have it nake me want to pull my hair out. The 3 boys are fighting with eachother. And every couple of minutes they come in and say so and so did this and so and so did this. The other one will say only because he did it first. And the my little girl will come in scream because some one did something she didn't like (she is almost 2 so she can't communicate that well.) And then the baby (5 months), will be crying because he is on the floor on his belly for the billonth time and is mad. So I put him in his bounce seat. Help the daughter and tell the boys to get alone. Knowing that in about 4 minutes they will be out again with another issue. All the while I am tired and not wanting to cook. But have already started so I have to finish. And by the end of dinner I have a headache, tons of dishes to wash, a baby to feed, and still haven't to eat myself. But hubby, Grandma, and all 4 kids have. And then I remember why I don't like cooking yet. Maybe when they are older.
Wow! That sounds like my house...but times two. The dinner hour is so challenging. It is lucky we ever eat :)
lol! Love the last picture!
http://blog.mysocalledsite.com/?p=199 Happy TT! :)
Oh, I've been there. I finally gave in and left the cabinets unlatched and you know what? All the charm went out of them.
I needed an excuse to change over to All-Clad anyway... *grin*
Hang in there. This stage doesn't last forever; it just feels like it.
ha ha.. I have so been there! Pizza delivery anyone?
Your dog is so adorable!
Those days surely pass and you'll surely miss it. Believe me. ;P
I love #13! Adorable!
That looks like my kitchen all day long. I have a cabinet in the bottom where I keep all plastic items and he can play with them! All kinds of toys and he has more fun with a plastic bowl.
Now, there is reason enough to have a dog.
Emily
Oh that was so fun! Those pics are amazing as always :)
You definitely have patience!
I don't even get 4 minutes with step number 1! Isn't it fun? These are the days!!
LOL...
Unfortunately, the last time I let the kiddos play in the cabinets my oldest bonked her head and got herself a nasty little cut right on her eyebrow.
Wow. It's like you were in my kitchen last night. Don't know what I was thinking with the whole "sure, I'll make dinner" thing.
Yeah, exactly *when* does making dinner get easier? 8.5 years in and it still sucks the donkey.
oh, that was just the best post!
I know I've said this before, but I adore your dog!
And the kiddo looks like a cutie pie too. :)
LOVE IT!!!!!! :D
Reminds of the craziness that is my life. :)
I am very lucky to have a wonderful man that cooks, you are right. It is something we had discussed before you got married. But I would like to help more when the kids get bigger and I have more time
Oh yes. That looks so familiar. Except hot dinner for me is anything that will fit in a toaster oven. Unless Hubs is cooking...
Ah, yes. Unleashing a toddler with the Tupperware cabinet. Looks familiar.
Too funny!! So far, the videos work for us around here! But then, my kids are a little older than toddlers, maybe that's way! My problem is more the youngest always wants to help with dishes...
Oh how funny!! This reminds me to get child locks on the cabinets! hahahaaha j/k
~melody~
ROFL! Ms Mamageek you have a way of describing things in the most HILARIOUS way!
How come this scenario seems all too familiar??? It's because when Lil Man was around his age he used to do the same.
My kids are always torturing the poor dogs! and I let them, dang it, keeps them out of my hair! :-)
Sounds very familiar, but try adding a 3 month old to the mix!
That's just brilliant, especially the last picture!
The dog picture is precious!
Boy that brought back memories. You would think that in 30 years they could have come up with something to entertain a toddler better than the kitchen cabinets. My children and now my grandchildren still like that better than their toys, tv, video games.... Sigh.
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