Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was great to see extended family and enjoy a traditional holiday meal. The food was delicious and after a few years of small numbers we were back to a large gathering. An out-of-state nephew with wife and new daughter were the focal point and a joy to watch. Everyone lit up around them and it's easy to see why it is that people keep having children. They just bring "life" everywhere they go.
Of all the things I am thankful for, the best part of Thanksgiving for me was the five days "off". There was no need to wake up early for school and that was fantastic! Of course there were still things to do and take care of, but the break from the everyday battle to get up and out the door on time was a relief. Now they are back in school but that is a relief as well since they are not underfoot all day. My kids are wonderful and creative but they also have no sense of volume control. Most of my days with them at home are reminding them to keep their voices down. It surprises me that our children are so loud as my husband and I both claim to have been shy and quiet as children. What happened? I'm sure when I look back in thirty years I'll have fond memories of these hectic times and instead of remembering all the noise, I'll remember all the "life" that filled our home. And if I am lucky, I will have a house full of children and grandchildren enjoying Thanksgiving dinner and sharing their life and love with us.
A mediocre mom who has visions of grandeur.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Time Sucks
I use the word "sucks" in my title not as an adjective but as a verb. As in, I'm making a list of things that quickly take up more time then you ever anticipate spending on them.
1. The computer/internet. I rarely get on my computer anymore without being drawn in and losing at least a half hour. My usual, "Oh, I'll just check my email" quickly turns into checking facebook, then friends' blogs, and then there's the Yahoo! homepage and if John & Kate are there you know I have to read it. (I never thought I was a rubbernecker, but when it comes to them I just can't. stop. watching.)
2. Television. My first love. It wasn't my husband badgering me to get a large flat screen tv that brought one into our home. It was my own obsession with television and the fact that I wanted to see it bigger, bolder, better!! With the addition of a DVR I can blissfully spend hours in front of the television, happily avoiding chores and responsibilities, and thus landing the tv on the major time suck list.
3. Cutting Coupons. I haven't even bothered to do this for the past three years. But now, since I am a SAHM again, I feel like I ought to be. I clearly see the benefit to saving as much money as possible, and I like getting a bargain, but what a PIA they are!! I haven't found a system that works for me and an old envelope just isn't cutting it. I have one of those bulky organizers (you know, with the dividers?) that I could use but they're so dorky and awkward. Then again, I am using my own bags at the grocery store now and as a child nothing to me screamed "Crazy Old Lady" more than someone using their own bags...sigh.... Maybe that organizer and I will have a future together.
4. The Doctor's Office. Holy crap why does it TAKE so LONG?!?!?! I used to feel incredibly guilty if I was a few minutes late for an appointment, but after spending over an hour waiting for the doctor in a paper gown I no longer have remorse.
5. Lines, in general. I am actually a pretty patient person and I try really hard not to complain when I'm waiting in line. It doesn't make sense to me to be upset over something I have no control over. I do, however, sometimes curse myself for picking the wrong lane. Consequently I don't think I'd be very good at a game show. But waiting in line is tedious and if you add a few kids to the mix it is now not only a time suck but one of those "please just let me survive this moment" kind of deals.
And that's a whole 'nother list.
P
1. The computer/internet. I rarely get on my computer anymore without being drawn in and losing at least a half hour. My usual, "Oh, I'll just check my email" quickly turns into checking facebook, then friends' blogs, and then there's the Yahoo! homepage and if John & Kate are there you know I have to read it. (I never thought I was a rubbernecker, but when it comes to them I just can't. stop. watching.)
2. Television. My first love. It wasn't my husband badgering me to get a large flat screen tv that brought one into our home. It was my own obsession with television and the fact that I wanted to see it bigger, bolder, better!! With the addition of a DVR I can blissfully spend hours in front of the television, happily avoiding chores and responsibilities, and thus landing the tv on the major time suck list.
3. Cutting Coupons. I haven't even bothered to do this for the past three years. But now, since I am a SAHM again, I feel like I ought to be. I clearly see the benefit to saving as much money as possible, and I like getting a bargain, but what a PIA they are!! I haven't found a system that works for me and an old envelope just isn't cutting it. I have one of those bulky organizers (you know, with the dividers?) that I could use but they're so dorky and awkward. Then again, I am using my own bags at the grocery store now and as a child nothing to me screamed "Crazy Old Lady" more than someone using their own bags...sigh.... Maybe that organizer and I will have a future together.
4. The Doctor's Office. Holy crap why does it TAKE so LONG?!?!?! I used to feel incredibly guilty if I was a few minutes late for an appointment, but after spending over an hour waiting for the doctor in a paper gown I no longer have remorse.
5. Lines, in general. I am actually a pretty patient person and I try really hard not to complain when I'm waiting in line. It doesn't make sense to me to be upset over something I have no control over. I do, however, sometimes curse myself for picking the wrong lane. Consequently I don't think I'd be very good at a game show. But waiting in line is tedious and if you add a few kids to the mix it is now not only a time suck but one of those "please just let me survive this moment" kind of deals.
And that's a whole 'nother list.
P
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Out with the old
I haven't been able to commit myself to writing in my blog. My excuses are mostly that I do not have the time to do it since I have a baby girl and two older boys to take care of. I had a job to return to part-time, summer vacation days to fill, a house under reorganization (to fit in our wonderful new baby), and all the while I've been sleep deprived most days. While this is all true and good reasons to put writing on the back burner, the biggest reason of all? The one that stomps the life out of all of my ideas and dreams? Fear. It's simple really: I am afraid to not be perfect and to fail. (Failing at a blog seems ridiculous I'm sure, but it's more than that for me.)
I see this trait reflected in my oldest son. He is intelligent and imaginative, loving and sentimental, but he is also anxious about trying new things and not being good at something. It's hard to see something in your child that you have had a hard time dealing with yourself. Thankfully he doesn't have to see it the same way that I do. He can be perfectly happy and comfortable in his own skin and that's what is so wonderful about life. We are not doomed to make the same mistakes as others or to live our lives exactly like our parents lived theirs. Yes, we women do turn into our mothers eventually, but always as a slightly better version!
I'm going to try to shed my crusty, insecure, tired, beaten-up skin. I'll write what I feel like and stop trying to have it all make sense. Because really, why would I care if people think I am strange? I already know I am. If writing makes me feel good then it could be fun and therapeutic all at the same time! And if by chance this provides one person out there with a laugh once in awhile, then I've earned bonus points.
P
I see this trait reflected in my oldest son. He is intelligent and imaginative, loving and sentimental, but he is also anxious about trying new things and not being good at something. It's hard to see something in your child that you have had a hard time dealing with yourself. Thankfully he doesn't have to see it the same way that I do. He can be perfectly happy and comfortable in his own skin and that's what is so wonderful about life. We are not doomed to make the same mistakes as others or to live our lives exactly like our parents lived theirs. Yes, we women do turn into our mothers eventually, but always as a slightly better version!
I'm going to try to shed my crusty, insecure, tired, beaten-up skin. I'll write what I feel like and stop trying to have it all make sense. Because really, why would I care if people think I am strange? I already know I am. If writing makes me feel good then it could be fun and therapeutic all at the same time! And if by chance this provides one person out there with a laugh once in awhile, then I've earned bonus points.
P
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