At the beginning of this blog I made mention of how I was following "A Slob Comes Clean" in an attempt to get my own house in order.  Update:  I was doing some things, but I really hadn't made much progress until last week when my grandmother (thanks, Mamaw!) came over and helped me get started.  When I looked at my house, I would just be paralyzed by all the things that needed to be done, and my brain could not even focus to figure out how to get started.  So, I just didn't start.  But then Mamaw arrived with her famous "toy rake" and plunged right into my living/play room.  I tried to keep up.  Several hours later the living/play room was clean and (since my dishwasher is broken) my kitchen was free of dirty dishes.  After she left, I didn't want to lose my momentum so I got out my little vacuum and finally conquered those pesky cobwebs way up in the corners of the ceiling.  The next two days were really nice, and I won't lie -- we headed to my parents' house to enjoy the pool!  But when I came home in the evenings I straightened the kitchen (and cleaned up completely after supper), and then I even began work on the dining room, which I also use as a make-shift office.  It isn't finished by any stretch, but just the few piles of papers and files being sorted, picked up off the floor, and moved to their proper place in the organizer bins has made a huge difference.  Mikaela's room continues to be my Achilles' heel.  She is about ready for the crib (she's been in a bassinet in our room), but I have not yet finished cleaning her nursery; I have not painted; and until a couple days ago, I hadn't even picked out bedding and a color scheme.  I feel a bit better though because I finally did choose bedding, and when it arrives in the next day or two I will head to the store for paint!  This weekend the hubster and I will finish cleaning and begin taping for paint.  Next Thursday his family will be helping us paint at the weekly "art night."  They just don't know it ... yet.  :)  

*Happy Sigh* I am starting to see results, and that keeps me heading in the right direction.  Today I am going to tackle Peyton's bedroom.  And maybe the desk in my kitchen.  Yeah, me.  Here I go!

Two Sides to Every Story

So, I just read this really obnoxious blog about how this girl hates her stay-at-home mom friends' posts about how hard they work, etc.  The blog itself and the following comments stunned me.

"If it were an actual job, every mom would do it."
"So?  I work and then have to come home and do all the stuff that you do."
"It's a luxury because being a working parent is more work because there's work and household duties which is more difficult than just having to child-rear and maintain the household."
"Big deal.  I go to work and make decisions that affect hundreds of people every day.  I don't need a parade."
"Why do they (stay-at-home-moms) think they deserve some kind of award for raising children they decided to have?"

And the list goes on.

My first issue with that whole blog is this -- it's Facebook, who cares?  People are allowed to post whatever they want...you don't have to read it.

My BIG issue is -- why does it have to be a competition?  Why aren't we allowed to post about our particularly busy day?  Why are you allowed to vent about your job, but we aren't allowed to vent about ours?  Why is it okay to bash each other for the lifestyle choices we have made for ourselves?

A lot of times stay-at-home moms are undervalued in society.  People look at us and think/say, so you 'just' stay at home all day?  I want to slap those people.  
No, I don't need any reward or monetary compensation for staying home and "raising children I decided to have."  Which is a statement in itself that really burns me up.  I love my children dearly, and yes I wanted a family...but that doesn't mean every day is a song or that staying home with my kids is the easiest job in the world.

And yes, I understand that you have responsibilities at work and then come home to responsibilities there; but that doesn't mean stay-at-home moms have half the responsibility that you have ... it just means that we have different responsibilities.  I, for one, run a home-based business in addition to my stay-at-home mom role.  I am also a student.  I also volunteer at my church and help run some of the ministries there.  I am a photographer in my spare time.

I don't judge you for working instead of staying at home.  So don't judge my choice to stay home because you don't know what my daily responsibilities are.  Instead of tearing each other down because "I work harder than you" or "I do everything you do plus..." all women/mothers should be supporting each other.  Let's be grown-ups and realize that we all work hard and every job we do has value whether it's outside the home or in.

Sensitive

Worked at the hospital today taking newborn photographs.  Planned on hitting the pool at Mom's house with the kiddos when I finished, but today was an ozone alert day.  Meaning since I have asthma, I'm considered part of the 'sensitive' group advised to stay indoors.  So instead of pretending I didn't know about the alert and going anyway, I was a responsible (bleh, who knew I had it in me?) grown-up and we stayed home.  We had lunch with Miranda and a fun indoor playdate with Baby Loucie (my niece), Peyton, and Mikaela.  

After they left I began working on my cleaning list ... which I had conveniently misplaced for the last three weeks as I worked on the wedding and Vacation Bible School.  I started with dishes, since our dishwasher is still broken and I haven't had a chance to go look at new ones, AND our sink is starting to pile up.  Next, my plan is to clean out the pantry and make my grocery list.  After the kids go bed I'll clean the living room, or the 'playroom,' as Peyton calls it.  I secretly call it the disaster zone.  :/  Wish me luck.  Because my reward to myself for finishing those goals tonight, is pool-time tomorrow!!!

A Day of Nothing

The weekend of June 9th was an infamous weekend that will go down in the record books as possibly one of the worst weekends of all time.  I am trying to remain somewhat professional, so I won't go into further detail, but suffice it to say that some people are just toddlers walking around in adult's clothing.  That behavior at three isn't pretty sometimes, but there's time to teach.  It's really ugly at twenty-something, and sadly, probably too late to correct.

And there's no rest for weary (or is that the wicked?) because on June 11th we kicked off Vacation Bible School and that went from 5:30pm to 8pm from the 11th through the 15th.  I am lucky to have some wonderful ladies to work with in planning this particular event.  And we have a lot of great help during.  It was fun while it lasted, but I'm breathing a sigh of relief that it's over for this year.  

Of course yesterday was Father's Day, so we made our rounds doing all the Father's Day meals, including the one I cooked at my house.  

All of that being said - I had wonderful aspirations today to do a bunch of laundry, wash dishes (oh yes, because I need one more problem...our dishwasher is broken), and clean the bathrooms.  Guess what I've actually done?  

Played with Mikaela and Peyton.  I also took a nice long shower while they were kind enough to nap at the same time; and then I watched a sitcom and ate a couple of Hershey's toffee almond nuggets.  Just call me the quintessential soap opera-watching bon bon-eating housewife today.  But I think I earned it.

Clorox 2 for Colors, you are NOT my friend.

Some days I wake up and realize all the things I have to be and do ... and whew!  Most of the things I do are for people I love, or I do them because I enjoy them.  But - just when I think to myself, "I'm a good person.  I helped ..." whomever with whatever.  And it feels good.  And then a random written statement (from someone who apparently does not think I'm a good person today) slaps me in the face and it ruins my whole day.  If it came from someone I didn't care about, I'd just shrug it off because whatevs.  But I do care about the person.  And it bothers me that when I'm having a rough month, I can't get any slack.  Just because I do other things, doesn't mean I don't like or care about you.  So yes, I sometimes forget to make a phone call or send an email ... and I understand feelings get hurt because I've responded to something or someone else and not you -- but it's truly not because I don't care.  I just have a lot on my plate right now, and my focus is on getting through the very next day as best I can (I know it sounds lame, but I can't even look ahead to the day after tomorrow right now).  So to all of my friends out there - if I haven't called, or texted for a while, please don't judge me and think I'm being a terrible friend.  I do love and care about each and every one of you.  I try to be a good friend, but I'm not perfect.  And sometimes, I need my good friends to be understanding.

There is nothing worse than waking up to the realization that there is no coffee in the house ... anywhere.  Not even the instant junk.  

Had a good time at art night last night with the family; we celebrated a birthday and a retirement!  My sister-in-law made fantastic orange and lemon cakes.  Very summer-y.  Some of my husband's out of town family was in and it was nice to catch up with them and get to know them a little better.  My nephew and my son had a good time together--and are becoming quite the little team of masterminds.  I just haven't decided if they're going to use their powers for good or evil . . .