What a long weekend full if juggling for me and it's finally almost over!
Hubby has been gone more than home this week. He worked late Tuesday and Wednesday (10:30). Then he was out of town Friday until today for a work related weekend. I'm so tired.
Friday I made dinner and took the kids grocery shopping with me after getting them from school. You think I would learn that shopping is only productive sans kids. Nope. They begged for everything and fought with each other. They did settle down after a few threats of severe punishment. After getting home I entertained them with games, movies and snacks. I had it in my head I would put them to bed by 9:30 and then relax with a book and a glass of wine. That didn't happen. I was mentally too exhausted.
Saturday we had an early morning soccer game on 38 degree weather. I froze my butt off as did my daughter. Thankfully it was the last game of the season. Then we ran errands, I made lunch and started laundry. Then it was off to the hockey rink an hour and 15 minutes away for my son's game. I froze there too. We didn't get home until around 8:45 after leaving the house at 3:30. Good news is his team played solid, he made a lot of saves and they won their first game.
I finished up the laundry in the washer and dryer while the kids showered, watched a couple shows on Disney and had a snack. I was ready to drop.
I didn't sleep most of the night. My sinuses acted up, I was itchy all over (still have no idea why) and my rotator cup was killing me. Too bad I couldn't actually enjoy that extra hour we got.
I shipped the kids off to church with grandpa this morning. While they were there I finished two more loads of laundry, tidied up, did dishes and swept and mopped.
Relieved hubby is now home. He's offered to "watch" the kids so I can relax (aka attempt a short nap). I won't say no. I'm beat and still need to cook dinner tonight, set out clothes/school things and pack lunches. I'm beat. I know I've mentioned that but I feel the need to repeat it.
I can honestly say I didn't have a boring weekend. Lots of juggling here. How was your weekend? Did you relax and kick back or run around?
Showing posts with label juggling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label juggling. Show all posts
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Dropping the Balls by Guest Poster Babe_Chilla of Chill Mama Chill
Today I am welcoming Babe_Chilla from Chill Mama Chill. This is how she describes herself on her blog:
I'm a brand new mama just trying to figure out how to raise my sassy little girl without losing my pretty little mind. I'm real, I'm honest and I don't sugar coat this thing called motherhood. I'm Babe_Chilla, and I'm trying to keep my cool throughout the formative years of my child's life through breathing, eating cupcakes and blogging my heart out.
Also, if you're on Twitter she's a must follow. Her tweets are real, relateable and oftentimes hilarious. Check her out here.
*****
Whenever I am offered the opportunity to do a guest post, I take it. Both because I like to hear myself speak in any avenue available to me, and because I know how hard it can be to fill your guest poster slots. The problem is I am always quick to jump at the opportunity, but slow to deliver on my promise. I could make a million excuses as to why, but the honest truth is simply that I have too many balls in the air too.
So when I was asked to do a guest post here at Juggling Act…Called Life, I thought “I can TOTALLY do that!” Right, I mean, this blog is ABOUT having too many balls in the air, so how could I fail?
Well, I fail by having too many balls in the air. See first I picked my week based on when I thought I might have enough downtime to really focus on an amazing topic. And then I didn’t write it down and the week just snuck right up on me (like hello, when the FUCK did it become the end of July?). Then, I realized that I have the most active 16 month old girl on the planet, and that there is rarely a moment of downtime, unless you count the chores that need doing when she’s finally sleeping (and not refusing to nap as usual). Add to that the fact I work a very busy, full-time job and sometimes require sleep and well, it has fail written all over it. Oh and did I mention that as I was sitting down to crank this post out, my entire computer imploded and I had to waste an ENTIRE day of work watching my tech guy try and fix it? Oh the failure.
Even now, as I am writing this, you can see that I haven’t really yet picked a topic. I am sort of hoping for some organic growth to spew forth from these fingers. I mean, it happens on my own blog ALL THE TIME, so why not here? No but really, this is a guest post and I’m supposed to be putting my best work forward.
Fail again.
So now that you’ve been introduced to just how random I am, let’s see if I can actually take this somewhere meaningful.
We can talk more about juggling. Not the actual act of juggling because I can NOT figure that one out. I mean sure, give me 2 balls and I can probably throw them around in a circle, but add a third and it’s floorsville. And while I tend to pride myself on being an expert multitasker, I have to say adding a small human to one’s life really shakes up your ability to do such things. I used to be ON THE BALL, I was at the top of my game, I could do ANYTHING. I was the type of person who would basically complete an entire day’s tasks before my husband even got out of bed in the morning. I WAS AWESOME ::toots own horn::
When I got pregnant, I never ever slowed down. I was lucky. I didn’t get sick. I didn’t get tired. And I barely got fat. I had energy and the ability to see my feet right up until the very end. I cooked, I cleaned, I shopped, I worked. I hung with friends until the wee hours of the morning, I put together a nursery. I was already kicking so much ass at mothering, it was impossible to foresee the future challenges. How much harder could this really be? I mean, I take care of everything and everyone all the time anyway, so adding another person to the mix will just mean a little more time to do things.
How fucking naïve are all us new pregnant people anyway?
Turns out my daughter had a different plan altogether. At 36 weeks and 6 days, the little monkey FLIPPED from the head down position she’d been in ALL the pregnancy long, to Frank breech. You have GOT to be kidding I thought. I figured I could flip her (you know, because I can do ANYTHING), and the list of things I tried to do so is endless. I did everything from a painful and awful ECV (or “version”) to standing on my hands in the pool every day for 3 weeks. Chiro, acupuncture, ice packs on the top, warm compresses on the bottom, hanging upside down from my couch, the list goes on. I DID IT ALL. In the end, nothing helped and we made the difficult decision to have a c-section.
Do you know what that DOES to you? It cuts open your abdomen (d’uh obviously you know that). And do you know what having a cut open abdomen and a very small human does? It eliminates your ability to DO IT ALL. Fuck, it eliminated my ability to do anything.
That was my first lesson. In those first 3 weeks after having my daughter, my husband was home from work and he had to do everything. I know some people bounce back from their c-sections easily, but not me. Even on Day 9, when I just HAD TO get out of the house so we went for a walk, I was in pain and I bled from my incision. Breastfeeding was not only a HUGE struggle in the beginning but it was also VERY painful when my uterus would contract. I couldn’t even get up to use the toilet without my husband lifting me from the bed. He did all the diapers, he did all the cooking and he did all the cleaning. I only fed and snuggled my daughter. And while that was (and still is) the MOST important thing in my life, I couldn’t help but feel like I was failing. I wasn’t used to being cared for. All I could do was think about what I should be doing. How could I let him do everything while I just sat there? When could I get back to doing it all?
The short answer was never.
We are 16 months into this parenting thing and I don’t think I’ll ever be the person I once was. To be honest, I don’t want to be her. That person stressed too much about getting it all done right, and missed out on some simple joys. That person put pressure on herself to accomplish irrelevant things in unrealistic time frames, and never revel in her successes anyway. That person didn’t take the time to appreciate all that she had; because she was too busy trying to get more.
These days, the house is a fucking disaster at all times. 11 minutes after it’s been fully cleaned, my little hurricane rips through and systematically dismantles it. The laundry sits in piles of clean and dirty, and is only ever folded when I desperately need the “clean” hamper for dirty clothes. There are food bits all over the floor (which the dog and baby fight over), and I honestly can’t tell you the last time my bedroom was actually clean. The car is beyond disgusting, which happens when your daughter is a master at removing the lids from her snack traps and also loves to say “uh oh”. I frequently go days without a shower because I can’t be bothered to deal with my hair and I am a far cry from the fashionista I used to claim to be.
In the end, none of that matters because those hours I used to spend obsessing about keeping on top of things are now better spent with my daughter. I no longer lay awake making mental lists of all the tasks I need to do, in order of priority and cross referenced by time allotment. No, now I lay awake thinking about our future and what that brings. Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, it doesn’t matter as long as we’re together.
These days, I am constantly dropping my juggling balls, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I'm a brand new mama just trying to figure out how to raise my sassy little girl without losing my pretty little mind. I'm real, I'm honest and I don't sugar coat this thing called motherhood. I'm Babe_Chilla, and I'm trying to keep my cool throughout the formative years of my child's life through breathing, eating cupcakes and blogging my heart out.
Also, if you're on Twitter she's a must follow. Her tweets are real, relateable and oftentimes hilarious. Check her out here.
*****
Whenever I am offered the opportunity to do a guest post, I take it. Both because I like to hear myself speak in any avenue available to me, and because I know how hard it can be to fill your guest poster slots. The problem is I am always quick to jump at the opportunity, but slow to deliver on my promise. I could make a million excuses as to why, but the honest truth is simply that I have too many balls in the air too.
So when I was asked to do a guest post here at Juggling Act…Called Life, I thought “I can TOTALLY do that!” Right, I mean, this blog is ABOUT having too many balls in the air, so how could I fail?
Well, I fail by having too many balls in the air. See first I picked my week based on when I thought I might have enough downtime to really focus on an amazing topic. And then I didn’t write it down and the week just snuck right up on me (like hello, when the FUCK did it become the end of July?). Then, I realized that I have the most active 16 month old girl on the planet, and that there is rarely a moment of downtime, unless you count the chores that need doing when she’s finally sleeping (and not refusing to nap as usual). Add to that the fact I work a very busy, full-time job and sometimes require sleep and well, it has fail written all over it. Oh and did I mention that as I was sitting down to crank this post out, my entire computer imploded and I had to waste an ENTIRE day of work watching my tech guy try and fix it? Oh the failure.
Even now, as I am writing this, you can see that I haven’t really yet picked a topic. I am sort of hoping for some organic growth to spew forth from these fingers. I mean, it happens on my own blog ALL THE TIME, so why not here? No but really, this is a guest post and I’m supposed to be putting my best work forward.
Fail again.
So now that you’ve been introduced to just how random I am, let’s see if I can actually take this somewhere meaningful.
We can talk more about juggling. Not the actual act of juggling because I can NOT figure that one out. I mean sure, give me 2 balls and I can probably throw them around in a circle, but add a third and it’s floorsville. And while I tend to pride myself on being an expert multitasker, I have to say adding a small human to one’s life really shakes up your ability to do such things. I used to be ON THE BALL, I was at the top of my game, I could do ANYTHING. I was the type of person who would basically complete an entire day’s tasks before my husband even got out of bed in the morning. I WAS AWESOME ::toots own horn::
When I got pregnant, I never ever slowed down. I was lucky. I didn’t get sick. I didn’t get tired. And I barely got fat. I had energy and the ability to see my feet right up until the very end. I cooked, I cleaned, I shopped, I worked. I hung with friends until the wee hours of the morning, I put together a nursery. I was already kicking so much ass at mothering, it was impossible to foresee the future challenges. How much harder could this really be? I mean, I take care of everything and everyone all the time anyway, so adding another person to the mix will just mean a little more time to do things.
How fucking naïve are all us new pregnant people anyway?
Turns out my daughter had a different plan altogether. At 36 weeks and 6 days, the little monkey FLIPPED from the head down position she’d been in ALL the pregnancy long, to Frank breech. You have GOT to be kidding I thought. I figured I could flip her (you know, because I can do ANYTHING), and the list of things I tried to do so is endless. I did everything from a painful and awful ECV (or “version”) to standing on my hands in the pool every day for 3 weeks. Chiro, acupuncture, ice packs on the top, warm compresses on the bottom, hanging upside down from my couch, the list goes on. I DID IT ALL. In the end, nothing helped and we made the difficult decision to have a c-section.
Do you know what that DOES to you? It cuts open your abdomen (d’uh obviously you know that). And do you know what having a cut open abdomen and a very small human does? It eliminates your ability to DO IT ALL. Fuck, it eliminated my ability to do anything.
That was my first lesson. In those first 3 weeks after having my daughter, my husband was home from work and he had to do everything. I know some people bounce back from their c-sections easily, but not me. Even on Day 9, when I just HAD TO get out of the house so we went for a walk, I was in pain and I bled from my incision. Breastfeeding was not only a HUGE struggle in the beginning but it was also VERY painful when my uterus would contract. I couldn’t even get up to use the toilet without my husband lifting me from the bed. He did all the diapers, he did all the cooking and he did all the cleaning. I only fed and snuggled my daughter. And while that was (and still is) the MOST important thing in my life, I couldn’t help but feel like I was failing. I wasn’t used to being cared for. All I could do was think about what I should be doing. How could I let him do everything while I just sat there? When could I get back to doing it all?
The short answer was never.
We are 16 months into this parenting thing and I don’t think I’ll ever be the person I once was. To be honest, I don’t want to be her. That person stressed too much about getting it all done right, and missed out on some simple joys. That person put pressure on herself to accomplish irrelevant things in unrealistic time frames, and never revel in her successes anyway. That person didn’t take the time to appreciate all that she had; because she was too busy trying to get more.
These days, the house is a fucking disaster at all times. 11 minutes after it’s been fully cleaned, my little hurricane rips through and systematically dismantles it. The laundry sits in piles of clean and dirty, and is only ever folded when I desperately need the “clean” hamper for dirty clothes. There are food bits all over the floor (which the dog and baby fight over), and I honestly can’t tell you the last time my bedroom was actually clean. The car is beyond disgusting, which happens when your daughter is a master at removing the lids from her snack traps and also loves to say “uh oh”. I frequently go days without a shower because I can’t be bothered to deal with my hair and I am a far cry from the fashionista I used to claim to be.
In the end, none of that matters because those hours I used to spend obsessing about keeping on top of things are now better spent with my daughter. I no longer lay awake making mental lists of all the tasks I need to do, in order of priority and cross referenced by time allotment. No, now I lay awake thinking about our future and what that brings. Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, it doesn’t matter as long as we’re together.
These days, I am constantly dropping my juggling balls, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Juggling, It's what I do
This has definitely been a full week of Juggling. I'm in the middle of winding down the school year and winding up for summer. It's always hectic here this time of year. It's been even harder now that Hubby has a second job. He's up by 3:30 a.m. and home at 10:15 p.m. three to four times a week. It's been extra tough physically, mentally and emotionally.
Earlier this week he had me cracking up. He asked me what was on this weeks agenda. I told him how full it was and his response....well, it's not like your running them everywhere. I just had to laugh out loud. I almost got hysterical. Seriously! Yes, sometimes it's not about shuttling the kids back and forth across the county. Sometimes it's about scheduling and making sure you don't forget anything or anyone. Some days the scheduling/planning part of it overwhelms me more than the actual doing. Does that make sense? Am I the only one that feels this way? Still, I wouldn't trade it any day.
My daughter's birthday was this week so it threw even more into the mix. Plus both kids have various school and after school activities going on.
I lost Sunday because we went to check out a rink an hour a way to see if we wanted to enroll the kids there for skating and hockey. Yes, we had originally planned on going to another one, but we wanted to just check this one out. Big (good) mistake because we LOVED it! It's a bit further than the other one and the drive is not as easy, especially in the winter. But, we're contemplating now and have to decide by September. After that we did a dreaded Wal-mart run and dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. It was a wonderful family day but it pushed my Sunday to do list to Monday.
Monday-Shop for Little Bee's birthday gift. Easier said than done as my parents had gotten her the one thing she had been asking for...a new scooter. Hubby was a bit upset but who am I to tell them no after she had asked them too and they had bought. It took most of the day and several stores but I completed my birthday shopping mission.
Mission Birthday Gifts took up most of the day. Then it was home to get Goalie Boy from school while Little Bee went to Daisy's. We decided to celebrate her birthday that night (instead of Tuesday) because Daddy was home. It was a wonderful and special time.
Daddy suggested getting her some "artsy/craftsy" things since she loves to create. We're going to make jewelry on Sunday while they boys are out doing their own thing. She colored the bad that night after opening it and carries it eveywhere.
The one thing she begged for (besides a scooter) was this puppy. We hid it in the pantry closet until after dinner and sent her in their to get us something. She was so happy! She has named her Princess and walks her everywhere. It's too cute.
Tuesday was a true labor of love that took ALL DAY! I had bought my daughter a bunk bed set last summer. It's been sitting in the box because we couldn't afford to buy another mattress. Little Bee has been sleeping most nights in her sister's bed (since she's only over 2-4 nights a month) and in her toddler bed (she still fits because she's tiny) the other nights. My parents decided to buy a new mattress for their guest bed so they gave us the old one (it's only 3 yrs old and been used a handful of times). I was so excited because this meant I could put Little Bee's bunk beds together. My mom said she'd help. I figured 4 hours tops. I must have been high on something because it took FOREVER! First we had to take apart both beds. Then we had to put both bunk beds together. Then we had to put them up and then I had to rearrange the furniture so I could put the beds on the opposite wall. We started at 11 a.m. When I went and got the kids at 3:15 we were done except putting on the ladder and tightening the screws on the slats. My mom kept them busy at her house (next door) while I moved and rearranged everything. I finished (for the most part) by 6:30. We ate dinner and then I put on the bedding which took FOREVER again. I hate top bunks! I will be writing a post about the good and evils of bunk beds. I have to say it was a HUGE hit and I am now a hero to my little girl. It's like one great big toy. It never stops giving.
Physically, I don't think I'll ever recover (I had to haul the old beds up to the attic too). But, it was worth it. No regrets, even though I will curse it every time I change the bedding (maybe I will just leave it).
Wednesday was nasty hot. I spent time in the garden. I washed a ton of dishes. I am the dishwasher. I HATE dishes! I did loads of (neverending) laundry. I went grocery shopping. Then I got the kids from school. We got homework done and then it was water time. Too hot for much else.
Thursday was a scorcher! I spent the day watering the garden, more laundry and dishes and baking/decorating cupcakes for Little Bee's class birthday celebration. I also ran to the store for ice pops and brought them into the school for the kids. It was blazing hot. I almost took them out early. Next time I think I will. I just relaxed after we ran the second half of the way home in the torrential rain. We made it just before the hail started. No cooking for me. We did sandwiches and salad and then just hung out. Perfect evening.
Earlier this week he had me cracking up. He asked me what was on this weeks agenda. I told him how full it was and his response....well, it's not like your running them everywhere. I just had to laugh out loud. I almost got hysterical. Seriously! Yes, sometimes it's not about shuttling the kids back and forth across the county. Sometimes it's about scheduling and making sure you don't forget anything or anyone. Some days the scheduling/planning part of it overwhelms me more than the actual doing. Does that make sense? Am I the only one that feels this way? Still, I wouldn't trade it any day.
My daughter's birthday was this week so it threw even more into the mix. Plus both kids have various school and after school activities going on.
I lost Sunday because we went to check out a rink an hour a way to see if we wanted to enroll the kids there for skating and hockey. Yes, we had originally planned on going to another one, but we wanted to just check this one out. Big (good) mistake because we LOVED it! It's a bit further than the other one and the drive is not as easy, especially in the winter. But, we're contemplating now and have to decide by September. After that we did a dreaded Wal-mart run and dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. It was a wonderful family day but it pushed my Sunday to do list to Monday.
Monday-Shop for Little Bee's birthday gift. Easier said than done as my parents had gotten her the one thing she had been asking for...a new scooter. Hubby was a bit upset but who am I to tell them no after she had asked them too and they had bought. It took most of the day and several stores but I completed my birthday shopping mission.
Mission Birthday Gifts took up most of the day. Then it was home to get Goalie Boy from school while Little Bee went to Daisy's. We decided to celebrate her birthday that night (instead of Tuesday) because Daddy was home. It was a wonderful and special time.
Tuesday was a true labor of love that took ALL DAY! I had bought my daughter a bunk bed set last summer. It's been sitting in the box because we couldn't afford to buy another mattress. Little Bee has been sleeping most nights in her sister's bed (since she's only over 2-4 nights a month) and in her toddler bed (she still fits because she's tiny) the other nights. My parents decided to buy a new mattress for their guest bed so they gave us the old one (it's only 3 yrs old and been used a handful of times). I was so excited because this meant I could put Little Bee's bunk beds together. My mom said she'd help. I figured 4 hours tops. I must have been high on something because it took FOREVER! First we had to take apart both beds. Then we had to put both bunk beds together. Then we had to put them up and then I had to rearrange the furniture so I could put the beds on the opposite wall. We started at 11 a.m. When I went and got the kids at 3:15 we were done except putting on the ladder and tightening the screws on the slats. My mom kept them busy at her house (next door) while I moved and rearranged everything. I finished (for the most part) by 6:30. We ate dinner and then I put on the bedding which took FOREVER again. I hate top bunks! I will be writing a post about the good and evils of bunk beds. I have to say it was a HUGE hit and I am now a hero to my little girl. It's like one great big toy. It never stops giving.
Wednesday was nasty hot. I spent time in the garden. I washed a ton of dishes. I am the dishwasher. I HATE dishes! I did loads of (neverending) laundry. I went grocery shopping. Then I got the kids from school. We got homework done and then it was water time. Too hot for much else.
Thursday was a scorcher! I spent the day watering the garden, more laundry and dishes and baking/decorating cupcakes for Little Bee's class birthday celebration. I also ran to the store for ice pops and brought them into the school for the kids. It was blazing hot. I almost took them out early. Next time I think I will. I just relaxed after we ran the second half of the way home in the torrential rain. We made it just before the hail started. No cooking for me. We did sandwiches and salad and then just hung out. Perfect evening.
Today (Friday) and tomorrow are my crazy days and hubby will only be home to sleep. More housework....laundry, dishes, sweeping, mopping and vacuuming. I had to remind the kids that today was wear your favorite jersey/sports shirt to school day. I emailed the rink to get more information on their hockey program. I'm dropping off cupcakes and ice pops in a bit. This afternoon Goalie Boy has a pizza party after school to celebrate the end of the reading/math program. I get him from the school at 4:45. At 5 is Little Bee's Girl Scout celebration in the school's cafeteria. I have to be back at 7 for their bridging ceremony. I'm so excited. I can't wait. I wish my husband could be there too. I hate that he's missing these precious moments but I know he's working hard for us. I feel bad and guilty.
After the ceremony, I drop them at my parent's at 8 before heading to my friend's house. We're throwing a small surprise party for another friend. I'll be ready to relax, eat some cake and drink some wine. I really need some mommy time.
Tomorrow I have the school yard sale and book fair and two birthday parties. I can't wait for Sunday! The boys are having a guys day out. I'm glad my hubby will have a day to unwind and relax. Little Bee and I are going to use her Burger King certificate (from school for her birthday) and do lunch. Maybe we'll even take in a movie. Money is tight but I think it'll be a nice treat.
Monday...it's back to JUGGLING again!
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