My Own Personal Quickfire

Like many couples with small children, my husband and I are constantly seeking ways to find time during the day and/or week to have a moment when it is a little less about the kids and a little more about the marriage. After all, it is our relationship that became the springboard for marriage and children to begin with. We also firmly believe a happy Mommy and Daddy make for happy parents and thus, happier children.  But it's easy to forget and get caught up in the needs of two infants and a toddler, taking care of them day in and day out and suddenly, January has rushed by in a frozen blur of bottles, diapers and all the Playdough creations you can imagine.

So, my husband and I have taken it upon ourselves lately to actively make time for each other. But even the whole concept of "I won't go to bed and just stay up chatting during Animation Domination" can get stale real quick. Just as his keeping me company during a Real Housewives marathon puts him to sleep in five seconds.  And while Date Night is a crucial concept,  neither of us is convinced upping it to weekly would have the same effect; that just means once a week we pay someone to watch our kids while we leave the house to talk about them.  So, that leaves us with the question: what's a couple to do? Enter the weekly Quickfire cooking challenge.

For those of you who might be Bravo junkies like myself, then you surely must be familiar with the Emmy-winning Top Chef by now. A wickedly addicting cooking competition that never fails to make my mouth water and give me cooking envy.  It's also the only Bravo show to date my husband has ever watched with me. One week ago, we opted to break the household budget and purchase both the Top Chef cookbook and the Top Chef Quickfire cookbook. We decided that every Sunday, one of us would pick a recipe, starting with the Quickfire book  and cook for the other. It's a move that allows us to focus on the other in a way that takes us back to cooking in the pre-marriage days. Picking a surprise recipe, gathering ingredients, eagerly anticipating our spouse's reaction. And most importantly, not having to worry if the recipe is kid-friendly or not! Come to think of it, when was the last time holidays and birthdays aside, we really devoted time on a regular basis to planning things for our spouse?

This Sunday is the first day, and my husband is cooking for me. I can't wait to see how he does with his first Quickfire challenge. Padma be damned, he's already won in my book.

24 Hours....

Should the day ever occur when I find myself without husband or children (honey, are you listening?) Much thought has been put into the notion of what I would do with 24 hours of sacred free time.

Some ideas that I just might indulge in:
Sleep until at least 10 am
Long uninterrupted bath
Reunion with 2 months of Bravo programming on the DVR.
Catch up with 6 months of Vogue back issues
Starbucks and Godiva for every meal
Finally finally Jonathan Franzen's Freedom
Nap
Nap
Nap
Visit my old friends Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, even if only on DVD
Shoe shop online.

The reality is, I'd probably be more likely to do:
8 loads of laundry
3 loads of dishes
Clean 3 bedrooms
Mop 2 levels of hardwood
Organize the playroom
Dust
Vacuum
Wash the windows
Purge for Goodwill
Tackle some random redecorating project
Grocery shop
Have dinner on the table by everyone's return

And somewhere my husband is laughing hysterically because he knows the nap is the only thing this mom of three  would take given 24 hours to herself. Okay, maybe an online shoe boutique or two. Only because you can surf the web from bed.

My Christmas Wishlist

In the spirit of Christmas, being only 2 shopping days away, I though I'd take a moment to reflect on the things I'd really like for Christmas. Not the superficial answers I'll give you for my husband's shopping list, but the deep down to my core items I can only dream about.

Dear Santa,
For Christmas this year I would like

To open my washer and dryer midweek and not find them full of forgotten clothes after a weekend when my husband did the laundry.

To really, really win the MegaMillions. I swear, I won't even be greedy about it.

That all 3 kids would nap at the same time for just one day. Okay, a week.

That someone would come to my home every day and feed me, make sure I took a nap and watched plenty of Bravo.  

Having a maid, a butler and a personal chef show up at my door and tell me they are a gift. No salary needed.

That my next big "fun" purchase will NOT be a dishwasher.  Or a roof. Or a car.

I'd like to eat unlimited truffles without consequence to my hips or waistline.

That all 3 children would be toilet-trained by New Year's instead of age 3.

To never run to my local corner store and purchase a gallon of expired milk again. I mean, really.

About three more hours in my day - everyday.

A husband whose commute is 8.62 minutes.

So, Santa, I've been a very good girl this year. If you could just make room to squeeze all of the above items into my stocking, that would be swell.

Love,
Ann

Things no one ever tells you prior to Parenthood....

Parenthood is an exclusive club many of us cannot wait to join once we take that plunge into the pits of responsibility.  We envision pint sized versions of ourselves chasing us around emulating only the best characteristics we have to offer and put forth onto the world. And why wouldn't we? It is the single most rewarding unpaid job we'll ever have that we chose willingly and would again and again. 


Now, if only I had been told prior to actually becoming a Parent:


That their ear infections would equal pneumonia for Mommy. Literally.


Thanks to Kate Gosselin and Octomom, freebies for twins has Dried. Up. 


Everything you buy requires batteries and assembly.


Some of your most intelligent conversations will center around coupons, Gymboree bucks and Baby Gap end of season sales. 


That you really do become your parents. "Put your socks on! Eat  your vegetables! Brush your teeth!"


That the kids have a sensor button for parental bedtimes. It's fail proof and goes off five minutes after your head hits the pillow every time.


That Dads are a hero when they show up at the pediatrician's office with all three kids, but Moms don't even rate a second glance from staff for the same task. 


Fish sticks are a highly under rated food. 


How loud twins, or two babies, are crying simultaneously. Invest in good earplugs.


You'll take pride in becoming a minivan owner.... happily.


That the first birthday party equals a mortgage payment. No one is quite sure how it happens, but it just does. Enjoy it, because the 2nd birthday is on a budget. 


Your toddler won't be able to pick up his crayons, but will be able to program the satellite TV remote, turn on the XBox and pick out a game as well as operate the iPhone 4.


One twin will start to bully the other one prior to age one and you'll spend the day playing referee. 


You couldn't tell a soul what happened on Grey's last week and you finally gave up those Housewives from Bravo, but you can recount in detail the last ten episodes of Dora.


Your heart will be toast because you fell in hopelessly in love in the first five seconds of meeting all three and you'd die yourself before letting any of them know a minute of sadness. You'd do anything for them at the drop of hat, including making homemade macaroni and cheese from scratch because one of them offhandedly asked for "macamoni."  


You firmly believe their laughter one day could create world peace.