I have stared at this screen for over 2 hours, I just can't seem to get out of this funk! I am at a loss here folks how does the world of SAHM's keep from going loony? Facebook has lost it's excitement, my email inbox has lost it's luster, and my iPhone is beginning to turn brown from lack of use :(
I need some inspiration, enlightenment, maybe some excitement I am not sure what I need but a saying my sister used to say is beginning to feel true:
"My name is un-important, I have no friends, and my favorite color is clear"
this is not me! How did I get here? Where did the spontaneous girl who jumps in the car on a Friday and shows up in Northern California unannounced go? I used to come up with the wackiest ideas for meals, family outings, even just a girls night out. Lately I am lucky to find inspiration to not make "mac-n-cheese" for dinner.
My poor husband and family are getting the shortest end of that stick! I mean how many days in a row can you eat a ham and cheese omelet? Wait don't answer that! So here I sit looking for inspiration. I have food network going on the TV, eHow going on one screen, and the Oriental Trading Company catalog in front of me. Please.... something pop off the page and light my fire! I can not subject my family to anymore of the un-exciting HMIC! I think they might soon go on strike.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Learning to pick my battles...
This past week has been a rough one on me. It seemed like every time I turned around I was getting kicked, bitten, squished, tackled, stepped on, scowled at, woken up, hollered at, and man that was just Monday ;p I love my family dearly but this week was not one of those weeks.
I am learning that somethings are just better left alone (not really to fester and grow into a huge grudge where you want to scream at the top of your lungs so hard that your eyes feel like they are going to pop out of their sockets) than to try and deal with them when they happen. I am not sure why I continually put too much on my plate each day. I had NO idea that I would have MORE to do as the HMIC than I had working 2 full time jobs as the HBIC!
I am desperately trying to find a balance between the "silence" and loneliness found between the hours of 8am and 2pm. You know those caused by all the other members of the household that can carry on a real conversation are a work or school and all you are left with are the random babbalings of a two year old and the dogs. I have found it very hard to stay motivated this last week, causing a pile up in the evening of all the things that left untouched (mainly the dishes, laundry, and general house cleaning) and a frantic rush to accomplish as much as I can before my eyelids crash down on each other.
I am blessed to have a family that will try and help around the house. With my daughters it is like pulling a large ox in the opposite direction most times to get them to actually engage in the house work. My husband and brother in law are always willing to lend a hand, I just wish that I could learn to ASK for help BEFORE I am at my wits end. I feel like I am snapping at everyone, and in turn they snap back. This is a VICIOUS cycle that I am going to break and it is starting with me!
So here are the new goals for this week:
1) I am tackling only 1 major house project each day.
2) I will schedule time for me to go out of the house BY MY SELF and turn off my cell phone so I can truly be alone and left to my own devices.
3) I will ASK people to help me in advance or before I am feeling like the red eyed monster is ripping out of my skin.
There you have it, I have a plan! Lets see if I can make it work. I love my family, I don't want them to hate me because I can not keep this HMIC in check. Wish me luck!
I am learning that somethings are just better left alone (not really to fester and grow into a huge grudge where you want to scream at the top of your lungs so hard that your eyes feel like they are going to pop out of their sockets) than to try and deal with them when they happen. I am not sure why I continually put too much on my plate each day. I had NO idea that I would have MORE to do as the HMIC than I had working 2 full time jobs as the HBIC!
I am desperately trying to find a balance between the "silence" and loneliness found between the hours of 8am and 2pm. You know those caused by all the other members of the household that can carry on a real conversation are a work or school and all you are left with are the random babbalings of a two year old and the dogs. I have found it very hard to stay motivated this last week, causing a pile up in the evening of all the things that left untouched (mainly the dishes, laundry, and general house cleaning) and a frantic rush to accomplish as much as I can before my eyelids crash down on each other.
So here are the new goals for this week:
1) I am tackling only 1 major house project each day.
2) I will schedule time for me to go out of the house BY MY SELF and turn off my cell phone so I can truly be alone and left to my own devices.
3) I will ASK people to help me in advance or before I am feeling like the red eyed monster is ripping out of my skin.
There you have it, I have a plan! Lets see if I can make it work. I love my family, I don't want them to hate me because I can not keep this HMIC in check. Wish me luck!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Putting the HMIC to the test...
There is always one true test of your skills as the HMIC.... your Mother In Law. I love my MIL I am blessed to have one that does not judge me, she supports me. Thom's mom and step dad came to visit for the Labor Day weekend. I frantically ran through the house, unpacked everything I could and cleaned up all the messes I could before she got here. I moved the kids rooms around to make a place for them to sleep and prayed that I would be able to keep up with everything while we had a house of 8 for 4 days.
I now know why on those '50s shows the kids are in bed so early, it is because the mom's are exhausted and need to go to sleep. My MIL is up before the sun, walks for 30 min, then comes home, makes breakfast for the whole house, and then makes sure everyone is ready for the day. She is nearly always in the kitchen and jumps up anytime someone even looks like they are hungry. By the end of the day she and I both were running on fumes and ready to crawl in a comfy bed to start it all again the next day.
While she was here, we celebrated John's birthday. The kids and I threw together an impromptu surprise party while he was taking a nap. Sarah and I watched a you tube video on how to do a basket weave decoration on cakes and then tried our hands at it. This was so fun to make a birthday cake with Sarah. The surprise went off with out a hitch and the homemade cards and yummy cake were a hit.
I think the hardest part of the visit was the cold reality of Sean's condition. With all the commotion of a house full of people, changes in routine, and just general fun of family visits Sean was beginning to get worn on. He had a meltdown worse that I have experienced to this point. It took over an hour to get him calmed down (luckily I had prelude in G minor on my iphone that calmed him down) and once I could assess the damage he had given himself a bloody nose and some pretty good bruises on his ribs and hips. My in-laws were able to realize that it is not a selfish request from me to have them come to our house instead of us travel to them. I wish we could travel, and hopefully once Sean is a little older we will be able to again. All in all the love and support from both sides of our family have made it possible for Thom and I to give Sean and the girls the love and life they deserve.
Now that all of our summer visitors have come and gone, I think I am safe to say...
I passed the test! My house is still standing, my kids are all healthy, the visitors all had a wonderful time. I think that next year I will have them spaced out just a little more.
I now know why on those '50s shows the kids are in bed so early, it is because the mom's are exhausted and need to go to sleep. My MIL is up before the sun, walks for 30 min, then comes home, makes breakfast for the whole house, and then makes sure everyone is ready for the day. She is nearly always in the kitchen and jumps up anytime someone even looks like they are hungry. By the end of the day she and I both were running on fumes and ready to crawl in a comfy bed to start it all again the next day.
While she was here, we celebrated John's birthday. The kids and I threw together an impromptu surprise party while he was taking a nap. Sarah and I watched a you tube video on how to do a basket weave decoration on cakes and then tried our hands at it. This was so fun to make a birthday cake with Sarah. The surprise went off with out a hitch and the homemade cards and yummy cake were a hit.
I think the hardest part of the visit was the cold reality of Sean's condition. With all the commotion of a house full of people, changes in routine, and just general fun of family visits Sean was beginning to get worn on. He had a meltdown worse that I have experienced to this point. It took over an hour to get him calmed down (luckily I had prelude in G minor on my iphone that calmed him down) and once I could assess the damage he had given himself a bloody nose and some pretty good bruises on his ribs and hips. My in-laws were able to realize that it is not a selfish request from me to have them come to our house instead of us travel to them. I wish we could travel, and hopefully once Sean is a little older we will be able to again. All in all the love and support from both sides of our family have made it possible for Thom and I to give Sean and the girls the love and life they deserve.
Now that all of our summer visitors have come and gone, I think I am safe to say...
I passed the test! My house is still standing, my kids are all healthy, the visitors all had a wonderful time. I think that next year I will have them spaced out just a little more.
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