Like so many women out there, I am a wife, mom, and do-it-all handyman, err- woman. I wanted to create a blog that can help us as women get back to what's really important. It's time to get priorities straight and make life better for ourselves and our families in these troubling times. I plan on having multiple pages to touch on each aspect of our lives- including what others expect of us, as well as the pressure we put on ourselves. I hope my posts will touch someone out there and help her days be sweeter!


Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Projects, Projects, and more Projects

This spring/summer has been full of projects at my house. The fence was finally put in, sprinklers are on their way to getting done, I painted/decorated our bedroom the way I wanted it to be, and I got a ton of shelving units put together and placed in their permanent homes. Not to mention ALL the moving boxes have been unpacked (except for some of my craft and sewing stuff). There is still more painting to be done, the fence needs stained and sealed, more purging of old stuff needs to happen (garage sale is coming in the next couple of weekends, so come on over!), re-organizing my craft room again and again 'till it works the way I like it, and the constant uphill battle of cleaning up after 6 people with begrudging children not really helping.

I took a look at my house today and sighed. I took a "break" from cleaning over the weekend. I was just too tired. I am ashamed to see how much mess my family makes and does not clean up after themselves. The living room is basically a storage room right now for the sprinkler parts waiting to be installed and the laundry that has not been put away. The hall closet had to be emptied out so the hubby could access the crawl space and bate the ants who have invaded our house since all the outdoor projects have started, and the stuff is still sitting in the family room awaiting permission to be returned to their homes in the closet- but alas, the ants haven't met their demise yet... The toys that had been bagged up and set aside for the garage sale are now being reintegrated back into the mesh. I am going to have to buck up and just say, "Everything goes." The kids don't even take care of anything, so why should they have it? Bicycles and scooters are in the entry way because the garage is blocked by a mound of river rock. Someone gave my husband something like 5 big boxes of paperback books, knowing that he never turns down books-especially free ones. So they are sitting on the foot chest at the base of the stairs waiting for a home on a bookshelf. I have a bag of pants I promised a friend a week and a half ago I would alter for her husband and haven't even started yet. They, and the sewing machine are sitting next to the newly acquired books.

I still see so many projects I want/need to get done, but haven't. Summer sure does make it hard. I am sooo looking forward to school starting again and having the peace and quiet to think and get my projects done efficiently. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids. But nothing ever gets or even stays accomplished when they are home 24/7.

I went to Jo-Ann's the other day and got a bunch of supplies to make some fun crafty things I've had stuck in my head for a while. I want to do them so badly, but cannot bring myself to actually do it until I have order and cleanliness around me. That is just how I function. So until I get the living room to no longer be a storage unit, the closet put back together, the toys gone, and my craft room re-organized, my creative outlet will just have to wait. Ugh.

I guess it's just all part of being a mom. We shuffle our schedules to meet the demands of our families and are constantly re-prioritizing what has to get done and what can wait. I know we can all relate to this. I'm at the point right now where the stuff that was put off just can't wait anymore, and I am having a tough time doing it without feeling discouraged. Hmmm, I wonder if there would be much cooperation for a "Chore Day Get-A-Way." Once a week (or month) moms send all their kids to one person's house for the WHOLE DAY. Then all the other moms go on a cleaning fury. The next swap, they go to someone else's home, and keep rotating until all moms have had a turn. It would need to be greatly organized, and people would have to stay committed. I tried doing something like this in Beaverton, before moving to Woodburn, but there was a real lack of commitment. When it was my turn, I only got about 2 1/2 hours (without help) before I got a call saying that I needed to get my kids- she was done with it. Not much got done that day.

Oh, well. Life goes on. "Oh blah dee, oh blah dah," as the Beatles would say. I sure need to get functioning again soon so I can fill my cup!

3 comments:

  1. Oh my! I was sitting on the couch yesterday, just giving up trying to get anything done because every time I tried to start doing a project or cleaning the kids would somehow need me or make more mess, ahhhh! I sat thinking, why can I not get anything done!??? I am so with you here. If I could only have a day to catch up somehow! I'd be happy to do a swap with you.

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  2. hey, you can drop off your munchkins anytime for the WHOLE day if you need a break k??
    then I'll come down and drop them back off after dinner and we can visit,do our nails, watch a movie?
    sound like fun?
    HUGS!!
    Fawn

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  3. You two are cool:) Fawn, you know I'll take that offer! Desiree, I would love to get a local group together. Do you think other gals would be committed?

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