About two weeks ago I scheduled a whole bunch of appointments. I don't know why I suddenly had so many people to see all at once, but I've been booked every day. I am very much a creature of habit, and when I have an appointment, it throws me off for the whole day. On the days I didn't blog I felt like I was shirking my responsibilities, but I have to remember to give myself credit: as much as blogging is important to me, my son's orthodontic health and my prenatal care are more important.
I am always amazed at people who are obviously busy but still manage to blog and tweet several times a day. Sometimes I go for a whole week and can't think of anything to write about that anyone else would be interested in. And when I do something noteworthy, I am usually too busy enjoying the moment to tell my cyber-friends about it.
Technology has brought on a phenomenon that I do not enjoy. Because communication is so easy, we do it all the time, and the quality has suffered. Imagine going on vacation thirty years ago. Your friends and family are excited for you and can't wait for you to return so they can hear all about it. Back at home you invite them over and spend a nice evening together telling the tales of your adventure. These days, when you get to the Eiffel Tower, you take a picture of yourself in front of it, text it to all your friends, and move on to the next thing. By the time you get home, everyone has already seen all your photos, and heard the funny story about what happened at the cafe across the street from the Louvre. There's no need to actually spend any time with your friends when you return because you have nothing left to talk about.
I am no longer going to feel bad when I skip a few blog posts. For those of you that read regularly, hang in there, I will always come back and keep in touch; I just refuse to stop living a life worth writing about just so that I have time to write about how I have no time to do anything worth writing about.
March 30, 2012
March 26, 2012
Happy Homemaker Monday
The weather:::
Its sunny right now but it's been raining. I hope we get a little more rain tonight.
On my reading pile:::
Nothing yet for this week.
On my TV:::
Hopefully some Jeopardy! tonight.
On the menu for this week:::
I'm not feeding my family anything this week because I was out of town this weekend when I usually do my menu plan and shopping. I planned to do it yesterday when I got home but we were delayed, and today I am under the weather. I guess I could give them Hamburger Helper (with no hamburger) and Gatorade for dinner tonight.
On my to do list:::
Get better so I can get back into the groove tomorrow. I haven't done anything today except sneeze and sleep.
What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Nothing this week.
Looking around the house:::
My husband is obviously a better housewife than I am. He had the kids while I was away this weekend, and the house is cleaner than when I left. I might install a hidden camera so next time I'm away I can see what company he hired to do all that work.
From the camera:::
So, I thought I could come home from Vegas with a ton of exciting and risque pictures to share. But you can't take pictures in Vegas when your camera is sitting on the dining room table in San Diego. My friends probably wouldn't have appreciated my posting anything from our trip anyway ;)
Something fun to share:::
I'm sorry, but I can't share anything with you today because what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!
March 19, 2012
Happy Homemaker Monday
The weather:::
In the middle of the worst storm all winter. Its been raining since Saturday, complete with wind, torrential downpours, and hail. There's just a steady drizzle this morning, but it is very dark out there. Its wonderful!
On my reading pile:::
Still working on the trashy romance novel I first read at 17. After the many others I've read since then, I realize this one isn't really trashy.
On my TV:::
No time today, or this week for that matter.
On the menu for this week:::
Monday- Street Tacos
Tuesday- Chicken Chili
Wednesday- Cookie Monster's 'Me Stuffed' Potatoes (the first time I served these they were a side dish, but Cookie wasn't kidding about the 'Me Stuffed' part!)
Friday- Fish Sticks and Tater Tots
Saturday- Mama's going to Vegas! Daddy can order pizza
Sunday- Turkey Rice Casserole
On my to do list:::
Prenatal appointment for me, checkup for Bobby, orthodontist for Anthony, Boy Scouts for Anthony, extra Boy Scout meeting for Grub Masters for this weekend's camping trip, pack for camping trip, buy food for camping trip, pack myself up for Vegas, say hello to husband if I have time.
What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
See above. Maybe I'll crochet a time machine.
Looking around the house:::
We were obviously cooped up in the house from the rain all weekend. The living room is very lived in, the dishes aren't done, and nobody wants to go out in the rain to the garage to do the laundry.
From the camera:::
Bobby says, "Say Chee Daddy! Say Chee!"
Something fun to share:::
Vegas this weekend: I'm pregnant, so no drinking, broke, so no gambling. Looking forward to sitting in a hotel room with the girls doing NOTHING!
March 14, 2012
My New Toy
My mother gave me a new phone the other day. It's so rad! It does everything I want it to do. I've been dreaming of a phone just like this, but never thought I would ever be able to get my hands on one. These days, with all the choices in communication devices, its hard to find one that fits your needs exactly. This one is so perfect and I'm so excited that I had to share it with you all.
March 12, 2012
Happy Homemaker Monday
The weather:::
Partly cloudy. Just plain blah with no end in sight.
On my reading pile:::
Journey Home, a re-re-re-read of my first trashy romance novel.
On my TV:::
We decided we watch way too much television. I never plan to, but somehow it just goes on in the afternoon and never goes off. This week we will decide what shows we really want to watch, and then only turn on the TV when they are on.
On the menu for this week:::
Monday- Turkey and Rice balls
Tuesday- Burgundied Beef
Wednesday- Chicken Logs
Thursday- Chinatown Chops
Friday- Fish Sticks and Tater Tots
Saturday- Limey Chicken
Sunday- Out
On my to do list:::
What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Finished my baby blanket last night. Going to take a break this week.
Finished my baby blanket last night. Going to take a break this week.
Looking around the house:::
Things are pretty clean, just a few dishes and odds and ends to put away. There's a fat kitty purring on my foot. There's a sleepy boy in the living room trying to stay on schedule, and I'm a sleepy mama cursing daylight savings time.
From the camera:::
The new baby blanket. Wish making the baby was as quick and easy!
Something fun to share:::
I rarely have something fun to share. That concerns me.
March 9, 2012
A Happy Friday
This was a good week. A few months ago I was feeling like an impostor. I claimed to be a homemaker, but really that was just a nicer way of saying I was currently unemployed. I had the feeling that being unemployed made you a lazy bum, but being a homemaker meant you were doing something worthwhile for your family and the community. So my mouth said "homemaker" but my actions were more lazy bum.
I took me a while to realize that I wasn't really being lazy, I was just untrained in the homemaking career. I had come from a successful career as a registered dental assistant. I would not expect a person who had never worked in the field to be able to do what I was doing. It took me years of education and experience to get to the point where I was good at my work. In retrospect, it was unrealistic to think that I could stay home one day and instantly be able do all of the laundry, clean the kitchen, drive everyone to school and back, and still have time to bake bread. I started a new career that I have no experience in so I can't expect to be good at it yet.
As a dental assistant, I finally knew I was good when I was asked to help our new assistant learn the ropes. I suddenly realized that I knew what I was talking about. I wasn't playing "dental assistant" anymore, I was a dental assistant. When I took on homemaking, I forgot that there would be a learning curve. I've only been at this for a few months, and there is nobody here to train me. So I need to go easy on myself when I can't find the time to bake bread. One day, when I've been at it for a few years, I will find the time.
This week, rather than complain that the living room is a mess, I looked at what I did accomplish. My kitchen is sparkling. I gave it a thorough cleaning on Monday, and it has stayed clean all week. Its easy to wipe up a few crumbs when they aren't stuck in the orange juice that spilled yesterday. I also made my own laundry detergent. A year ago, that would have been out of the question. Who has time to go buy a bunch of different things and mix them up and make a mess? Now that I'm at home, I think who has time (and the money) to go to the store every time they run out of laundry detergent? So I put in an hour of work, and my laundry is set for the next six months.
I am not good at homemaking yet, but I am learning. There are things that are happening automatically now that a few months ago may or may not have gotten done. As I master one concept, I am able to start experimenting with something new. If I keep this up, pretty soon I'll have to change the name of my blog.
I took me a while to realize that I wasn't really being lazy, I was just untrained in the homemaking career. I had come from a successful career as a registered dental assistant. I would not expect a person who had never worked in the field to be able to do what I was doing. It took me years of education and experience to get to the point where I was good at my work. In retrospect, it was unrealistic to think that I could stay home one day and instantly be able do all of the laundry, clean the kitchen, drive everyone to school and back, and still have time to bake bread. I started a new career that I have no experience in so I can't expect to be good at it yet.
As a dental assistant, I finally knew I was good when I was asked to help our new assistant learn the ropes. I suddenly realized that I knew what I was talking about. I wasn't playing "dental assistant" anymore, I was a dental assistant. When I took on homemaking, I forgot that there would be a learning curve. I've only been at this for a few months, and there is nobody here to train me. So I need to go easy on myself when I can't find the time to bake bread. One day, when I've been at it for a few years, I will find the time.
This week, rather than complain that the living room is a mess, I looked at what I did accomplish. My kitchen is sparkling. I gave it a thorough cleaning on Monday, and it has stayed clean all week. Its easy to wipe up a few crumbs when they aren't stuck in the orange juice that spilled yesterday. I also made my own laundry detergent. A year ago, that would have been out of the question. Who has time to go buy a bunch of different things and mix them up and make a mess? Now that I'm at home, I think who has time (and the money) to go to the store every time they run out of laundry detergent? So I put in an hour of work, and my laundry is set for the next six months.
I am not good at homemaking yet, but I am learning. There are things that are happening automatically now that a few months ago may or may not have gotten done. As I master one concept, I am able to start experimenting with something new. If I keep this up, pretty soon I'll have to change the name of my blog.
March 7, 2012
Adventures in Laundryland
This morning when I left the house to drop my husband off at the bus stop, I grabbed a little shopping list I had made. I had jotted down a recipe for homemade laundry detergent the other day. When most people write down a recipe, they intend to make it. I write them down with the intention of letting the paper get lost in a pile of mail and permission slips. When it is unearthed months later, I'm not interested in it anymore so I throw it away. But this morning was different.
This morning I heard my alarm and immediately hit the snooze button. I usually do this two or three times but today as I tried to go back to sleep I heard a little voice. "Daddy? You broke the rainbow."
I felt my husband roll over to face our almost three year old. "How did I break the rainbow?" he asked.
"No Daddy. Bobby broke the rainbow," Bobby answered.
"Are you still half asleep, little man?" Bobby must have given him a kiss then because my husband said, "Go give Mommy some of those kisses."
Bobby made his way around to my side of the bed and crawled up next to me. He gave me some kisses and suddenly said, "I go pee-pee in potty."
Since he is not potty trained yet, his voluntary request excited my husband and I. I told him to hurry and go with Daddy, who was already on the way to the bathroom. A few minutes later, naked Bobby came and jumped on the bed and Daddy gave a report. "He pushed three times but no pee-pee."
Bobby squirmed his way under the covers next to me. We pulled the covers over our heads and giggled and hid from Daddy. I really needed to get up and get dressed but he was being so sweet I couldn't leave him. Daddy peeked under the covers and we all squealed. I pinched his naked bum and he wiggled and laughed. We played for about ten more minutes and then I had to get up.
My husband and I were chatting in the hallway when we heard Bobby's little voice from our bedroom. "I pee-pee in the bed!" We looked at each other then rushed to the bedroom. Little naked Bobby stood proudly in the middle of the bed, next to the abstract wet art on the sheets. We told him that was a no-no but we weren't mad for long.
We finished getting ready, and I pulled the sheets off the bed. In the garage I started the washing machine, but when I grabbed the detergent container, somebody (husband) had left it empty and didn't bother to tell me we were out. I figured I could pick some up on my way back home after dropping him off, but then I remembered the recipe. It was still on the kitchen table, still free of a note eating pile of junk mail. So I grabbed it and we left. Stay tuned and I'll let you know how it goes. I think the homemade detergent will work fine, but making it should provide some humorous blog fodder!
This morning I heard my alarm and immediately hit the snooze button. I usually do this two or three times but today as I tried to go back to sleep I heard a little voice. "Daddy? You broke the rainbow."
I felt my husband roll over to face our almost three year old. "How did I break the rainbow?" he asked.
"No Daddy. Bobby broke the rainbow," Bobby answered.
"Are you still half asleep, little man?" Bobby must have given him a kiss then because my husband said, "Go give Mommy some of those kisses."
Bobby made his way around to my side of the bed and crawled up next to me. He gave me some kisses and suddenly said, "I go pee-pee in potty."
Since he is not potty trained yet, his voluntary request excited my husband and I. I told him to hurry and go with Daddy, who was already on the way to the bathroom. A few minutes later, naked Bobby came and jumped on the bed and Daddy gave a report. "He pushed three times but no pee-pee."
Bobby squirmed his way under the covers next to me. We pulled the covers over our heads and giggled and hid from Daddy. I really needed to get up and get dressed but he was being so sweet I couldn't leave him. Daddy peeked under the covers and we all squealed. I pinched his naked bum and he wiggled and laughed. We played for about ten more minutes and then I had to get up.
My husband and I were chatting in the hallway when we heard Bobby's little voice from our bedroom. "I pee-pee in the bed!" We looked at each other then rushed to the bedroom. Little naked Bobby stood proudly in the middle of the bed, next to the abstract wet art on the sheets. We told him that was a no-no but we weren't mad for long.
We finished getting ready, and I pulled the sheets off the bed. In the garage I started the washing machine, but when I grabbed the detergent container, somebody (husband) had left it empty and didn't bother to tell me we were out. I figured I could pick some up on my way back home after dropping him off, but then I remembered the recipe. It was still on the kitchen table, still free of a note eating pile of junk mail. So I grabbed it and we left. Stay tuned and I'll let you know how it goes. I think the homemade detergent will work fine, but making it should provide some humorous blog fodder!
March 5, 2012
Happy Homemaker Monday
The weather:::
Partly cloudy today and its supposed to rain tomorrow. Last week I scoffed at the forecast of rain; I shouldn't be so pessimistic. It rained so much that my weeds are now in full bloom.
On my reading pile:::
Lost!, a true life novel from the seventies about three people who's sailboat capsized in the Pacific.
On my TV:::
Jeopardy
On the menu for this week:::
Monday- Texas Hash
Tuesday- Slow Cooker Chicken
Wednesday- Sombrero Pie
Thursday- Posole
Friday- Fish Sticks and Tater Tots
Saturday- Sukiyaki
Sunday- Shrimp and Mandarin Oranges
On my to do list:::
Get reacquainted with FlyLady
What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
My favorite bed sheet wore out. The center of the fitted sheet just disintegrated. I love the pattern so I would like to do something with the top sheet that is still in perfect condition. Any ideas?
Looking around the house:::
A clean enough dining table, a clean kitchen, an eleven year old doing his morning dance workout. My workout today will be cleaning the living room. I honestly don't know what happens in there.
From the camera:::
I wish I was a cat.
Something fun to share:::
Nothing this week.
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