Truths

I love my girlfriends - they've been there through numerous growing pains, bad choices, bad haircuts and bad cooking. I once drove to a girlfriend's house directly from the hair salon and stood there, pointing to my head. "See???? I'm NOT EXAGGERATING!!!" She didn't believe I ALWAYS left the hair salon looking MUCH worse than when I arrived - she doesn't have thick, curly/frizzy hair. "See?" I pointed again to my head. "DO I, or do I not - look like a poodle????"

By this time her mouth was on the ground in horror, so I figured I had made my point. She now knows I DO NOT exaggerate.

Really.

For example, when I say, "I live in a drafty 1900's house - it's really cold in winter!" it means you are welcome to visit, note that I'm wearing three layers of clothes, including long johns, in my living room - and that my hands are still only slightly warmer than ice cubes.

If I say I made a great dinner - it means I would have paid good money for it at a nice restaurant.

And, unfortunately, when I say I suck at juggling - it means I struggle to maintain house, kids, work and sanity with apparently MUCH more difficulty than most. I'm not really sure why. I'm working hard on establing routines and habits - basically learning to clean and care for a house - apparently I was reading a book instead of paying attention to my mother. (that probably happened a lot)

But what I'm slowly learning is that I DON'T have to be my mother or grandmother - who spent their entire days cleaning and re-cleaning the house. I just need to establish - and stick - to simple routines for cleaning and maintenance - and teach others to do the same. And to do it joyfully.

Yup - joyfully. That cleaning a toilet is NOT a waste of ten plus years of college - it's a 20 second exercise that takes care of my family AND makes me happy. (cause scouring out a nasty toilet is NO one's idea of a good time!)

I'm trying to get very Zen about the whole thing. I do what I can for my home, for myself and for my family - and then I move on.

I'll let you know how it goes - I think I'm calmer with the kids (I homeschool three elementary aged kids).

Time will tell.