Dishwasher Incident

So on our cross country road trip back in 2009 I had an incident that really shouldn't have been a big deal. But I was about to become a member of the Dennis family in just a few months and I was still so nervous around them! I wanted to be that perfect daughter-in-law. I wanted to be so impressive all the time and never make any mistakes! This of course probably just made me come off like a nut-job but I tried. Thinking about this story again though, I guess it could have happened on our other road trip for our open house right after we were married. Regardless of whether it was right before or after or wedding, I was still nervous around the Dennis family.

In my attempt to be the perfect daughter-in-law, I went to put the dishes in the dishwasher and shut the door. I was so impressed by myself until my mother-in-law came in. She thanked me for putting the dishes in but informed me that they have a system in their house where if they are clean the door is closed and if the door is open then they are dirty. I am sure she meant it as a teaching moment but not as a criticism but all I heard was that I hadn't done it right. I was so sad and have worried about doing the dishes wrong ever since.

When the Dennis family was coming for Thanksgiving and I was taking 29 credit hours, I began to worry again. I called my Mom one day in a panic and told her about the dishwasher incident. I explained that I was worried it could happen again but at my house! She calmed me down and life went on it's merry way.

Then I was talking to my Mom this week and she has decided to adopt this approach with the dishwasher. She said it just made so much sense!

I, of course, started to panic because I will never be able to do the dishes at either house! I then went to Marc to vent about this major incident in my life...okay so it really wasn't so major but still. I sit there and tell the whole sad story and do you know what he says?

“You know, we should probably use that system too.”

Alright that is it! No more doing the dishes for me, at anyone's house apparently.