Having children frequently makes ten minute tasks multiply into hours long escapades. Quite frankly, these escapades really aren’t all that exciting or fun. They are just time suckers in which the futility of life is revealed and someone always leaves hungry.

I am, 98% of the time, the hungry one. I am perfectly capable of cooking. I’m even pretty good at it. Most people who eat my food say they’d like to do so again. I’ve never left a potluck without several compliments and requests for recipes. I’m no Julia Child, but I’m not exactly chopped liver either.

The problem isn’t the lack of skills, it is more of a supply and demand thing. I only have so much energy to dedicate to solving the family’s problems during the day and my children are quite needy. No matter how benign the situation is and how much time they could spend waiting for me to complete a simple task, everything they want is elevated to the level of a mini crisis and they demand my attention like an angry little chipmunks chattering and screeching relentlessly. If I don’t drop everything and attend to them they are likely to start pelting me with acorns.

Today I decided that I had better clean up my diet. I have been living off of over processed, high sugar, convenience foods. They fill me up, but offer very little nutritional benefit, which I’m sure my nursing babe would appreciate. Not to mention that I could use some energy. I made this choice to drop the junk food after my children both wet my bed and woke up at about three am this morning. I figure since I’m not getting any sleep, I had better get some nutrients.

So, early this morning I hauled my little brood to the commissary to purchase some produce. I bought myself a little veggie tray a few months ago, figuring that if I put ready to eat fruits and vegetables in it I would be more inclined to go for the easily accessible health food as opposed to the easily accessible garbage I usually go for.

I had forgotten the reason that I buy junk food in the first place. I don’t have time to prepare healthy foods when I am being constantly pummeled with demands! I am lucky to be existing on the 3 Oreos and handful of chocolate I usually manage to grab as I run through the kitchen getting sippy cups and snacks for my toddler. I spent three hours today trying to chop a very modest sized vegetable tray. The biggest issue when trying to tackle this task was that my baby wanted to be held and I don’t chop very well with one hand.

I would walk around the house snuggling her until she fell asleep, then lay her down and run to the kitchen and start frantically chopping. About five seconds later she would figure out that she had been abandoned and start crying again. So I’d start all over again. I was determined to eat something good for me, so it took me over three hours before I could sit down with a small, but healthy meal.

At least I can say I managed it, but when the bulk of your day revolves around a bag of carrots and some broccoli you’ve got to wonder.