Huh?

I know that folks will want to know where my blog title came from. Some of my friends and family will get it, on one level, but I need to explain that it's more than what it seems. And they will understand that, too.
There's a Jewish superstition that if you leave your oven empty, you will not have anything to cook in it when you want or need to. So placing an empty pan (clean or dirty, I assume for my own benefit) ensures plentiful food stores. So on one level, this title is about keeping something in your oven for good luck. In my case, it's humor.
I'm also the mother of three pretty cool kids, and I really enjoy being a mom. It's actually the only job I've ever had that really feels right. Yes, it's difficult, ever-changing with nothing but on-the-job training, and the paycheck involves asking the husband if I can please transfer some more money into my account (which often earns me the bonus of a roll of the eyes and an exasperated sigh). However, I wouldn't want any other profession right now. So on another level, my blog is about motherhood and all that entails.
So ultimately, my blog is going to be about maintaining the humorous aspects of motherhood and my life, so that no matter how ugly things get sometimes, I will always be able to smile and laugh. I hope you enjoy it.
Let me also add at this point that I have absolutely no idea why I'm starting a blog. I love to write, and there are a lot of funny things in my life, but I can't do anything that resembles a routine- not dishes, meals, bathing my kids or myself, or even getting everyone's teeth brushed. I've tried to force routines on my family with so little success it's stunning. If I announce that we are going to try Family Game Night, or will have spaghetti every Thursday, that night will arrive with six things on the calendar that involve being in three places at once, and no pasta in the house. I can't even discipline with any consistency. I once announced that the kids would have to earn 'screen time' by doing active things like playing outdoors or practicing karate. That lasted about a week. The kids felt restricted by the timer and the chart and we lost all the relaxed spontenaity of our normal life. I felt like I was monitoring every minute of their lives again, something I didn't need to do even when they were newborns. It was awful. Routines are something we just can't do, I've accepted that.
So if a week goes by with no new post from me, please be patient. It's not that I don't care, it's just that I don't want to force it. Life around here happens in huge chunks of activity, most of which are wonderful and perfect for us. When I have a moment to myself, I will record those chunks for posterity. And hopefully you'll laugh with us.