Where is it written that good moms smell bad?

This morning, as I prepared to do for the third day in a row what I call a 'busy mom's beauty routine' (deodorant, lipstick, mouthwash), I was grumpily ruminating on how unfair it is that I always come last. It was nearly 9am, and I was still in my pajamas, smelling a bit funky, hadn't eaten my breakfast, sporting some TinaTurner-esque hair, hadn't taken my medicine, and it felt like each time I tried to start doing any of those things, one of the kids needed me for something. And me being me, of course I'd get them some juice before I eat my breakfast, because clearly they would expire if they didn't get it RIGHT NOW.
All of a sudden, it hit me. I am the only one who can put myself first. Children, by their very nature, will put their own 'needs' first. It's up to me to say "You can wait 5 minutes for some juice while I have my breakfast." It's up to me to make showering a priority (and it should be, because WOW, was I getting a bit wildebeest-like!). They don't get to prioritise my day - if they did, we'd watch cartoons and eat nothing but McDonald's, interspersed with trips to the park and shops.
I think my problem is that I place everything on an equal footing, so I can't prioritise because it's all of the utmost importance. And it isn't, is it? Sweeping the floor is important, because Pippa crawls around and eats whatever she finds - animal, vegetable, mineral, she's not picky. Breakfast for Mum is important, because I get cranky - and believe me, nobody wants that. 
I think that also because I make it all super-important, I tend to get overly upset about minor things. I am stressed a great deal of the time, because I let the little things get to me. It's really that I'm frustrated about not being perfect. I can't be all things to all people all the time, and it bothers me.  I put all this pressure on myself to have a perfect home, perfect children, perfect life - that I miss out on the joy of being  not so perfect. Yes, there are cobwebs in nearly every single corner of my house. But if I spend all my time looking up at the corners, I miss out on my children right in front of me.
This post has rambled a bit, but to recap:
1. I need to not sweat the small stuff so much
2. I also need to place realistic priorities on things
3. I need to throw out my tights and cape, because, contrary to my own inflated ego, I am NOT a superhero!
 
XOXO,
Sarah

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I can not control the universe and everyone in it!

A very wise friend of mine said to me recently, "You can't control 'x', it's not your job." ( the 'x' is mine, as I don't feel like explaining what 'x' is representing) And she's right. I'm trying to do God's job again, because things aren't happening as quickly as I think they should. It's not like I don't know that, so why do I keep coming up against it? Nearly all the stress I'm feeling is simply because I'm trying to handle more than I need to. It's just so hard to let go, you know? I have about 3 situations that are completely out of my control, and two of those are a result of the third. So my friends, please pray for me. Pray that God will unclench my fingers, so I can let go of these heavy, heavy burdens.   Now on to the parenting bits. I'm struggling, I admit. So what else is new? We've encountered a new kind of interesting behaviour - shoving and hitting. Not each other, but
Keep reading

Going away

We're going away for the night, returning tomorrow evening.   Can I just say that sometimes, I'd rather just stay home? Seriously, the effort and planning that is required (and often procrastinated) is astonishing. And mostly, I think it's a lot of effort because I'm trying to perform multiple tasks with only two hands.   So for the record, it's not physically possible (and it will make you nuts if you try) to do all of the following at one time, if you are indeed one human being and assuming you are not a superhero:   Supervise children Clean house (and keep it clean while children are awake) Pack clothing Do Laundry Eat breakfast   Something's gotta give. Since I'm having McDonald's for lunch, I'll skip breakfast, although I suspect that not eating is what's making me feel so snarky this morning.   Now I'd better go, because one of the girls is asleep, and I really need to get the car packed.   XOXO, Sarah
Keep reading

24 hours later...

Philippa Jane was born this morning at 3:53AM, weighing 5 pounds 12 1/2 ounces. Pictures have been taken, but haven't been uploaded to the computer yet. The birth was perfect, and we're both well - and obviously, home less than 24 hours later. Taking a few days to rest and get to know each other. Photos and birth story to follow in a few days! XOXO, Sarah
Keep reading