If you have to dry the dishes
(Such an awful boring chore)
If you have to dry the dishes
('Stead of going to the store)
If you have to dry the dishes
And you drop one on the floor
Maybe they won't let you
Dry the dishes anymore"
-Shel Silverstein
You could say I dropped a plate yesterday...I think I'd rather just dry the dishes next time.I was babysitting my nephews, ages 3 and 1, yesterday and evening came and I realized it was 5:40pm and I hadn't made dinner yet. They'd be getting picked up in a half hour so I began a frenzie. The item on the menu: grilled pizza. Usually, Zac is the griller, and when I say usually I mean that I have never cooked on the grill and he does it every time.
I didn't want to turn on the oven because it was HOT in the house so after a quick step-by-step on turning on the grill from Zac (over the phone) the grill was heating and I was gathering all my ingredients. I had set the baby in the pack in play to relax (and really because I don't have the ability to cook dinner with help from toddlers) and I was out at the grill, my pizza dough rolled out and my toppings ready to go. The kids were happily playing inside. I opened the lid to the grill and a huge wave of heat about singed my hair, apparently I had turned it on WAY to hot. The grill part was white from the heat, but for some reason I still put the dough on there...immediately it started burning and sizzling...too hot. About the same instant that the dough started frying I hear crying from the baby inside.
Me: "Teagan! Is Kai hurting baby?"
Teagan: "No, he's just bugging him"
Me: "okay try to get him to just play peek a boo instead"
I know you're all wishing that I could babysit your children too.
Meanwhile, pizza is burning, the grill is too hot, and I can't open the spaghetti sauce jar...or any of the jars in the cupboard, what the heck!?!? What about adrenaline. Pizza still burning, baby still crying (AHHHHHH!!!! " Teagan and Kai play peek a boo with him please!") Still burning, still crying, so I run in and rescue baby, his brother was just sharing the pack n play, and all three boys come outside with me. After a quick run across the street to my neighbor, my sauce was opened. I finished the pizza and we sat down. It was only about a 15 minute time period but it felt like forever. yikes.
We enjoyed dinner together, I gave the most burnt pieces to the kids because I am so generous and loving. They gobbled them up and I choked mine down. Things settled down, the boys got picked up, I returned my kitchen to a less chaotic version, and Zac returned home.
He went outside to check the grill and yelled "MELISSA!!!! COME OUT HERE!!"
Me: oh crap, what did I do, did I leave the grill on? did the jar of sauce fall in the wind and break and splatter on the ground?
Zac: "MELISSA!"
Me: slowly make my way outside, stomach in my throat, oh dang it what have I done.
I walk out and he shows me what I've done...much worse than what I imagined.
I melted our house, nice. APPARENTLY, I was supposed to MOVE the grill away from the house. It might have been okay had I not turned the grill up to the highest heat possible, but seeing as I managed to mess up in more than one way we now have a nice little problem on our hands.
Luckily, Zac forgave me in a matter of minutes(I love that man!) after I sputtered out apologies and excuses. Needless to say, I have been banned from using the grill in the future.
Last night I couldn't fall asleep for a long time because I started thinking. I realized that we were lucky the house didn't start on fire and I felt sick at the thought. I played through it all in my mind. What would I have done if the house was on fire? Get the kids out, scream for help from the neighbors (who were luckily outside), try to put out the fire with our hose...yuck the thought makes me sick still. I am just feeling so lucky and blessed that we still have our house, I didn't burn it down. We just have to replace a little siding, no biggie. I learned some lessons and now I have a plan in case I do manage to start the house on fire and I've got 3 little kiddies inside. Here's to learning experiences!
If you have to grill the pizza
(Such an awful boring chore)
If you have to grill the pizza
('Stead of going to the store)
If you have to grill the pizza
And you almost burn your house to the floor
Maybe they won't let you
grill the pizza anymore"
8 comments:
Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! First things first: I am SOOOO happy that your house didn't burn down. Second things second: I L-O-V-E this post!! From Shell Silverstein to your very own poem at the end - literary perfection Melis! Mrs. (what was our AP Lang teacher's name? I can't believe I forgot...lol) would be proud.
I've yet to try grilling pizza...but it sounds delicious. Although it looks like I'll need to be super careful! Cause if I catch something on fire...I'm taking a whole apartment complex down with me. Bad news!
Glad you're safe my dear - and again, glorious post!!!
I think droopy vinyl siding is a right of passage :) A friend of our did catch his house on fire doing the exact same thing. Glad it's only a little cosmetic damage...
WHEW! so grateful that it was such a minor problem! and even though i know you are crushed with anxiety... how luck you all are!!! seriously!
and as i was reading, i was thinking this is not an uncommon evening with 3 kids!!! it gets rather nuts sometimes having so much going on all at once- i think you handled things rather well in the chaos. good job!
p.s. i am not a griller either. and now i probably will never be ;)
Such a fantastic post! I'm so sorry about the siding on your house, but glad everytONE is okay. You're a fabulous babysitter and I trust my kiddos with you without thinking twice!! I love how Teagan keeps Jax safe from Kai. haha.
Jake did the same thing to our siding the first time we used the grill. I am glad nothing worse happened to the house!
We're so glad that everyone is ok. So sorry about the siding, though. Your story with the kids sounds familiar. Kudos to you for trying grilling pizza with three kids around. I think I may have gone with peanut butter and jelly instead.
HOLY COW! Well, I am glad everyone is safe and if it makes you feel any better I am clueless when it comes to grills too. And grilling pizza sounds so yummy! You are a genius!
You are the best mom and Auntie! Such lucky kids to get wholesome food rather than mac and cheese, (kraft-yuck) my sometimes go-to. Sounds like quite an adventure. I wouldn't have thought of the siding at all. We've only ever had wood. I think you learned a hard lesson for a lot of us! Thanks for taking one for the team.
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