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 | an advice column, starring you |
A blog post, in which I ask you all manner of questions that are eating away at the back of my mind, and you (ever so kindly) attempt to answer them. Because otherwise they will end up crowding everything else out of my brain, and we don’t want that, now, do we? Or…do we?
THING ONE:
Owen spotted my razor in the shower the other day. “What’s the point of that?” he asked. “When do you even USE it?”
“I use it when I take a shower,” I said.
“Which is, like, NEVER,” said he.
Um. Actually I shower most days, but not until after all the kids are in bed. They can’t quite believe that the day continues after they’re asleep, thus: it must be the case that I never shower. Dane showers in the morning, when the children are most often already awake, so they do believe he bathes regularly. My personal hygiene standards, however, are apparently suspect.
Which leads us to QUESTION ONE: Should I continue to try to convince Owen et al. that I do, in fact, bathe, or should I let them believe I’m enforcing a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do policy as regards bodily cleanliness? (Okay, this one I don’t super-need advice on. Mostly I just wanted to tell you the story of Owen and the razor.)
THING TWO:
Having been reminded repeatedly (most recently via Crunchy Domestic Goddess and Terminal Verbosity and, you know, Consumer Reports) that canned goods are slowly killing us via BPA, I have to ask: do you think I want to buy a crock pot? We’ve never owned one, and I think the only things we currently cook that we could use a crock pot for would be dried beans, and vegetable soup. And it seems silly to me to own a gadget for preparing one kind of staple food and one kind of dinner.
On the other hand, we are vegetarian, and we do eat a heck of a lot of beans. We cycle in and out of making our own, then buying canned, then making our own (right now we’re in canned mode), and one thing that keeps us from cooking them more often is the fact that bean-making commandeers our whole stovetop and our most useful cooking pots.
So, QUESTION(s) TWO: Do you use a crock pot? Would I love one if I had one? And what features should I be looking for? Ceramic-lined? Something else?
THING THREE:
While our kids have plenty of bed-space, they don’t have enough floor space or dresser space.
To remedy that situation, would you (QUESTION THREE): switch to a bunk bed with trundle (ie, three twin-sized mattresses) and a large dresser (let’s call that Option A), OR switch to two sets of bunk beds (four twin-sized mattresses) with drawers under the bottom bunks (Option B)? Option A gives more storage, less bed; option B gives the reverse. At the moment, we don’t have space for two bunk beds plus another dresser. Even if that’s what we maybe need. Thoughts? Other suggestions?
You do know you’re awesome, right? I thought so. (And I think so!)
Go for option A, more storage. We have bunk beds and I store 3 slim under the bed boxes. You are right, they do not hold a lot of things in them.
Since you are vegetarian don’t get a crockpot. Instead get another useful pot since bean making seems to use a lot of nice pots in your house. You could reuse the new pot for other things besides beans. The crockpot possible wouldn’t get much other use.
Also wanted to add you are welcome to borrow 1 of my crockpots if you want to perform a trial run.
I love using a crockpot for beans. I think you’d like it.
My kid had never seen my razor until she was six. I wrote about it here: http://www.mindbodymama.com/2009/04/mind-body-mama-launching-war-ship.html?showComment=1239847380000
What does that say about my personal hygiene?
No comment on the bed/storage thing. My experience is, no matter how much storage you provide, their stuff still gets left all over the floor.
If I could buy the crock pot of my dreams, I would get a programmable one, because I’ve never bought a crock pot that didn’t cook faster and hotter than it should. I like the kind where the pot comes out for easier cleaning.
We have the same problem with floor space. My parents had twins in military housing. Solution? My dad made beds which sat on top of dressers and closets. In between the two towers (one of dressers and one closet) he made a desk under the bed. They have these on-line now. We bought this for one of my sons.
I think the crockpot is useful for beans so as not to have to a) supervise small children with burners and b) not use up all of your stovetop space. But get a big one, b/c I have kind of a med sized one, and it doesn’t make a ton of beans. Tho maybe you don’t want to freeze a bunch, which is my usual M.O.
I echo Owen’s question: why do we use razors? Hate the things.
Okay, there is some hair that I want removed, but still. Hate the things.
As for bunks…wouldn’t you eventually want four beds? Seeing as you have, ahem, four chillens?
Thanks for letting me live out my fantasy…writing an advice column.
I love my Crock Pot. We are vegetarian, too. And I use it almost daily. For beans! And Chili! And soup! And spaghetti sauce! And oatmeal (put it in before bed and you have yummy breakfast). And lots of stuff. I am a big fan.
And, yes, I agree with Heather. Get a big one. I traded up last year. A good decision on my part. Phew. (Happens not so often.)
Re: beds. I cannot give advice on beds or storage, as my children are not great sleepers or great picker-uppers. In fact, they are off-the-charts bad on both. Grr…
Heehee. I don’t mind if Owen thinks I don’t SHAVE, I just mind that he thinks I don’t BATHE. Especially since I make the children bathe regularly.
Jen, I hadn’t thought of oatmeal– we make overnight oatmeal in a pot, but the crock would be better for that. Hmmm…
Heather, you know I was thinking of you when I wrote that post title.
I’d want my kids to know that I bathed regularly. Tho in all likelihood they won’t believe it til they see. Consider it an option to examine the notion of faith.
I use my crock pot a lot. It’s nice during the summer when you don’t want to heat up the house. But it is true that almost everything you make in a crock pot can be made in a multitasking pot, and sometimes I find my veggie soups taste so overcooked and bland in the crock pot (tho this could be more about the cook and less about the crock). What about a pressure cooker?
Two sets of bunk beds. If only for the supreme fun factor.
I’d go with less bed, more storage. I have nothing useful to say about crock pots except that I’ve been served low grade meat out of one before and didn’t like it.
Thanks for coming by the other day!
i support the crock pottage. every once in awhile i grab both my kids and take a shower just so they know i clean myself occasionally – this is possible with two maybe not so much with 4.
i would have said all bed no storage but that comes from a high needs sleeper household. storage is nice but it doesn’t get me more sleep. beds, beds, everywhere means more places for me to potentially close my eyes while holding, rocking, nursing, wakeful kiddlets.
I love my crock pot, because I can leave home to run errands, etc., and not worry about leaving it on! I don’t like to leave my stove on when I leave the house; it just seems too risky.
I have a big crockpot that I love. But, we are not vegetarian. Mine gets a lot of use for making shredded meats, like pulled pork and ropa vieja and buffalo chicken. I also love it for chili. I was with Diana in thinking maybe a pressure cooker might be a good tool for the beans.
In the bed situation, I’d opt for more storage if having fewer beds still suited everyone in sleeping arrangements.