Don't Forget the Oil

Not long ago, my friend gave me a pizza dough recipe. I have use the recipe two times with no avail. Yesterday, I decided to make pizza for dinner. I thought after working ten hours, driving to my mother in-laws to pick up my youngest children, that it would be fun to have the kids help me make the pizza. Thinking it would give me one on one time with them since I had been gone all day, and I had a good hour to pick up the kids, make dinner, and attempt to pick up the piles of residue from the day all before daddy got home.

Upon arriving at Grandma's I was already tired ( the evenings seem very long at our house). Milo was excited to see me, so I thought. He greeted me with a big hug then quickly ran back to watching TV. Princess Lil' didn't even give me a glance. I said, "hello". She still focuses on her Dizney Princess puzzle that she was doing with Grandma. I told the kids it was time to go. Milo says, " I want to finish watching Sponge Bob". Lil' says, "No". So, givining in, I decided to help finish the puzzle so we could go sooner. Aleast that way I was doing an activity with her. She was happy that I wanted to do the puzzle. Time ticked away. Tick, tick, tick. "Okay, let's go now get your coats and shoes on", I say. Milo opens the door to go outside, I hear the van still running. Well at least it wasn't gonna run out of gas I had just filled it up. Grandma helps get the kids in the car. All the while Lil' fussing and Milo lecturing me about how I need to hurry because the van was going to run out of gas. Great , he had kicked into his I am right and I am tired and angry mode. Deep breath, and relax we can get throught the night.

At home, Lil' starts to complain aboaut her legs hurting. A sure sign that she hadn't had a nap while at Grandma's. She wants to be held, Milo wants me to play "Halo" on the X-box and I wanted to start dinner. The oldest informs me that he is going to help a friend with some project at school. "Alright, I love you. Hey wait, I need my hug". Not in the mood to try to enforce him into coming back home for dinner.

Hold and comfort Lil' get her some "cocoa", the main staple in her life. Talk Milo into playing a different game by himself so I can do dishes then start making pizza. It took a lot of talking, the time ticks away. Quickly call Riley and ask for help setting up the x-box for Milo. Comfort Lil' somemore. Wonder where could Tommy be, start calling friends' houses, while washing dishes. No Tommy, call Dad to see if he had reported to him. Sigh... he had. Okay, back to dishes. Lil' now wants the castle that Tommy had put away while doing his chores. Escort her up stairs to get castle, trains and princesses. Dishes almost done, pre heat oven. Give Lil' more loves. Tell Milo to calm down, he is getting frustrated with the video game. "Says, he wouldn't be angry if I'd just play Halo with him". Here comes the "guilt of the working mom".

Dishes done. Okay, get out pizza dough recipe and get started. Water, yeast, ,honey to sit while I measure oil. Milo still angry and frustrated at game. Okay maybe we should do homework. Get Milo started on spelling words. Measure salt and flour then add to the sitting water, yeast, honey mixture start mixing (by hand, no luxuries). Lil' into kitchen crying about legs, in walks Dad. Big hug and a kiss for him. " I am making pizza, sorry it's not ready yet. Could you please help Milo with his homework?". "Yeahhhhh", in his I am tired as hell and hungry tone. I love him so much. Boy this dough is really dry! Well lets roll it out anyway, cut it in half and start rollin'. Dad is patiently waiting and already patiently ate some cottage cheese.

Dad is a breathe of fresh air, if you can get past the sweat and saw dust. Gets Milo to work on two math pages, missed yesterday, and finds a Christmas cartoon for Lil'. It's really hard to roll out this dough. Milo, now, wants to help. "finish your math, you can help roll out the second crust." In comes Lil' crying because the cartoon stop. Explain commercials, it will be back in a minute ( she watches alot of videos). Still rollin' out the dough. Coming close to 8 pm. I left work at 5:30pm. Finally get dough rolled out and placed on the pizza pan. Yummmm... wait a minute what is in the measuring cup sitting the counter by the pizza dish? Was it residual oil and honey from the measuring spoons I had put in the cup, nahh could be that much liquid. Yep.... arghhhhh, it was the olive oil. Quickly dump it in the bowl with the leftover dough and plop in the rolled out crust. Just maybe it will mix up just fine!, Ha-Ha. Look at Dad and Milo quietly doing home work and throw the dough in the garbage.

Frustrated. Should I just order pizza? No, I can make another batch of dough quicker. Water, yeast, and honey mixture; measure oil and add to mixture. Let it sit just a minute. Help Lil' go potty. Afraid to be in the bathroom alone. Now, add flour, salt and mix. Yeah this is it, the perfect dough. First, pizza in the oven. Call Tommy home, take out recycling, sweep up all the flour. Pizza out of oven, serve to Dad, Milo, and Lil' who were watching the last of the christmas show. " Hey, Milo want to roll out the dough?". " Ya", he says. Never comes to the kitchen until I was putting the cheese on the pizza. He walks away angry. Sister calls and wants help with some personal stuff. "Could I come down for an hour and help her?", she asks. "No, I can't. I am still cooking dinner and need to bathe the little ones. I am tired." I say. Here comes more guilt. " I'll call you later, love you."

Lil' in the tub. wouldn't touch her pizza, ate honey sandwich instead. Starts to cry again, doesn't want to be in the bathroom alone. "Okay, just let me go check on the pizza I plea." She continues to cry. I quickly remove the pizza. Great it looks burnt. Dad looks burnt out. Cut the pizza, it wasn't burnt, extra flour on the crust was just dark, whewww. Back to the tub, lock the door and sit in tub with Lil'. I washed her hair, put conditioner on her hair and combed the tangles out. She relaxes and plays her toys in the bath water. She needed me and I needed her. Dad knocks on the door, " you okay, did you get to eat? Tommy is going down on the pizza." "Yeah, I am okay, we're just getting out of the tub. Thanks". I love him.

Lil' in her pajamas, I cuddle her on the couch as I eat a piece of pizza. She is out in less than a minute. "Boy wish I was her," I think to myself and then ask tired Dad to run a bath for Milo.

Later as I still cuddle Lil' , we all watch the holiday favorite " Christmas Story". Lots of laughs. Especially the soap in the mouth scene.

I wake up at 3:30 in the morning still on the couch, with Milo near by. Gently remove myself from the couch stretch and get in to bed next tired Dad.

Now I know this had been long. Believe me I was there. I began thinking about that oil I had forgot to add to the dough. Oil is an important part of our lives. We have become dependent upon oil. This led me to think of Christs' parable of the 10 virgins. Well by the end of the day I felt that my lamp was empty. However as I think back about the events, I was replenishing that oil little by little by just being with my family and loving them. The hug from Milo, doing puzzle with Lil', watching tired Dad do homework and care for the children, getting in the bath with Lil', combing her tangled hair, Dad asking me if I was alright, cuddling with the kids on the couch, the patience and love I felt from my tired husband all filled my lamp and makes me grateful for the many blessing and love I feel in my home and from my Heavenly Father.

So even when we are tired the little mundane things can replenish our lamps so we can endure each moment of our lives .