Two things I have to do myself

I have been blessed to be able to hire a helper or two for housework and to take care of my three children when I have to go out.

My helpers have been trained in almost all tasks in the house except for some: organizing our clothes and cooking our meals. (Yes, I cook all our meals or my husband does even if we have two helpers in the house.)

Organizing our clothes mean choosing clothes for ironing, putting back the clothes to our cabinets (there's a certain way I want it done) and keeping the clothes piled neat and in order. Our cabinet, in particular, is off-limits to our helper but they of course can go through the kids' cabinets. It's funny because I remember my mother complaining before that my cabinet is all messed up and she has to constantly rearrange my clothes. Now, it's my turn. Sure now know how my mom feels.

The cooking part is for a whole lot of reasons! One, taste, two, hygiene, three, sometimes, you just want to cook food that you like. I have to tell you though that definitely I have days I don't want to cook. Lazy, not in the mood, wants to dine out, etc. I am lucky when my mom is in town because she cooks for us all the time and she cooks really great food too.

So okay, taste. As I said my mother is a great cook so I got used to eating good-tasting food for even the simplest of dishes. Since I got used to that, I had to have good-tasting food all the time. This helped me a lot in my current profession. Second, hygiene. If I cook the food, I am sure I will cook it the way it's supposed to be cooked. I just give my helper instructions on handling it later, storing and reheating.

I do cook nutritious meals for them, one more important reason why I want to cook myself. I have a penchant for menu planning and buying fruits and vegetables because I want the kids to get used to eating nutritous and good food. At this point, my girls are already appreciative of food that I cook for them and don't get all ignorant when we dine out.

So busy as a bee as I can be, there's some things that a mother like me have got to do. All in a mother's day's work.