Wednesday 19 May 2010

Apparently I am lazy.

Today my 6 year old son said to me: "Mommy, you're getting quite lazy you know."

(I should just explain here that they call me mommy because I'm South African and we are mommies, not mummies, even though I say mummy to people here in case they think I'm strange).

Given that I have been getting up at 6am, doing the usual laundry, tidying, lunchbox packing, breakfast making, cross training, crazy mother trying to get kids out to school-ing, working like a mad women on multiple new business pitches and two client launches, racing to do pick ups, more work-interspersed-with-cbbc-and-breaking-up-fights, making dinner, charging off to karate classes, bed/bath and more work till midnight most nights, I didn't really feel like I'd been lazy.

So I politely asked why he felt this way.

"You've been lazy with the groceries mommy."

Oh right.

True. Tonight they did have to eat an instant lasagne from the freezer (thanks husband for stocking those). And as there was nothing instantly weight watcher friendly in the freezer, fridge or cupboard, I was forced to enter into a WWII ready steady cook event. (Note how World War and Weight Watchers have the same initals. Hmmmm. Interesting.)

I was rather proud of the soup I made out of 3 limp carrots, 2 sticks of celery, an onion, some sprouting sweet potatoes, a tin of lentils and a hefty (a little too hefty in hindsight) sprinkling of curry powder.

I did point out that the avocado man (Ocado for those of you who don't speak child) was coming tomorrow but that yes, perhaps I had left it a little late in getting some food in, particularly as tomorrow's packed lunch for son2 looks likely to involve pasta salad sans salad. i.e. plain boiled pasta, cold. Or a frankfurter and a celery stick. Or as son2 pointed out, he could have cheese and crackers. Because we still have both of those. Just. Scraping the mould off shouldn't take long.

So yes, maybe I have been a little lazy on the groceries front, but we somehow seem to manage to eat our way through an exhorbitant amount of food, particularly as husband is away abroad (eating steak and drinking great South African wine not that I'm in any way envious) and I'm still on my starvation kick and the kids ignore most of the stuff I put on their plates anyway. Where does all the food go?? Surely it was only seconds ago since I bid farewell to the last avocado man (Bob, in the Cabbage van, nice to meet you).

I seem to spend vast sums of money on food that lasts minutes. Besides the expense of it all, it's rather time consuming all this shopping, even with the wonders of instantly filled online shopping baskets.

So yes son, I have been lazy. And you know what, I don't actually care. Tomorrow, if Petr in the Strawberry van doesn't get here in some cruel twist of fate, you'll be having dinner comprising meringue nests (a left over from election night dinner's Eton Mess), topped with frozen peas and corn (possibly defrosted if I can be arsed) and a side serving of frozen frankfurters. Because that's what we have. Suck it up.

6 comments:

nappy valley girl said...

Your soup sounds amazing - not lazy at all, lazy would be resorting to Pot Noodles.

My boys would probably be happier with the instant meal than some dish I've lovingly slaved over. I made them spaghetti with bacon and cheese tonight, and LB2 eschewed the bacon and cheese and had plain spaghetti with nothing on it.

Know what you mean about the constant restocking of the fridge though - I seem to spend my life visiting the supermarket (no lovely Ocado here) and I really don't know where it all goes....

Julie Sardinetin said...

To me that sounds like the opposite of lazy - working out what you can make that's edible out of what you have festering in your cupboards!

Must say I'm with you on the Ocado loving. Always think it's great how they text you with the name of your driver and the name of his van, LOL.

MrsVikkitoria said...

First time I've been to your blog so of course, first I must say "Hello" and a great post. Made me laugh out loud.

MD x

Metropolitan Mum said...

The Avocado man :) I have to start ordering form him as well. The Sainsbury's here is so grim, I sometimes just can't get myself to go in and face real life. I'd much rather look at my shoes. Haha.

Lindsey (Urban Mums) said...

First time I've read your blog too - and it's great! I picked up on the 'Avocado' too... because we had the same name in our house until just a month or go or so... sad day when my daughter realised!

Sounds like you are anything but lazy!

Home Office Mum said...

Nappy Valley - it has happened again. Ocado man has come and gone and so has the food

Julie - I personally love the challenge of figuring out what to make out of store cupboard ingredients only

Hello to Modern Dilemma and Urban Mums - thanks for stopping by and very nice to meet you. Will be over to visit soon

Metropolitan mum - well your shoes are rather lovely to look at....