Down Mulberry Lane

Homemade dishwasher soap, a no-go.

Well, we tried homemade dishwasher soap for several months and guess what?  My dishwasher quit working.   The dishes never came nicely clean and suddenly the pressure went down.  Dh thinks it is the soap. 

After trying to get it to work again, Dh cleaned the dishwasher with vinegar... it seemed to clear the lines enough to give it pressure, but now he finds that the timer for filling the dishwasher is off as it does not fill up enough, hence not enough pressure, hence... it may not have been the soap, but an actual trouble of the dishwasher... LOL. 

So, Dh said I could use the dishwasher again, we've been handwashing now for about 3 weeks.  But if I want to use it, I would need to add a gallon of water to the dishwasher before starting.  Well, we found the dishes are much cleaner washing by hand.  And we just got a new routine that involves handwashing dishes.  And to our surprise and delight... it works!  It works much better than the dishwasher routine.  Somehow if it didn't fit into the dishwasher it just didn't get washed! 

I decided not to buy dishwasher soap and just to enjoy the cleaner dishes and cleaner kitchen that comes with handwashing after every single meal.   Even if that means that "I" have to do the breakfast dishes on school days!   (I hate doing dishes!)  But I need to put forth my own good example to my kids.  When I was a kid, I remember once I hit fourth grade the dishes job was ours... I ended up doing that to my kids.  I remember despising the job.  I found my kids with the same lack of motivation for doing dishes as I had as a kid and I needed to find a way to change it.  I am hoping that by me stepping in and actually doing an entire meal 5 days a week will help the girls to share doing the rest.  Dad helps occasionally, so that gives another break or rather helps the time pass more quickly.  The chores currently seem to be evened out in work.  Here is how the chores are divided between the older three.   *the girls rotate at intervals to give them a new perspective. 

Kate - dry and put away

Chelsea - Wash and wipe table, stove, countertops

Megan - rinse, put food away, and sweep floors of kitchen and dining room. 

Mom- clears the table and gathers dishes from other rooms

We have premeal chores as well, but this after meal chore has been a troubled time in our home for some time.  I am thinking it was my own poor attitude towards the dishes that rubbed off on my girls.  I am praying that things will continue to improve in our daily chores in doing them with a joyful attitude. 

Warmly,

Melissa

private time

7:53 AM, October 9, 2007 .. Posted by Penny

washing dishes is a wonderful way to get private time with the Lord! seems like around here everybody flees so they don'tget asked to help :) . Or if they actually do want to help it is usually some real good conversation time. When people ask if I have a dishwasher I tell them I have 7, April, Beau, Georgia, and so on and so on
Penny Raine
http://www.pennyraine.com