Today feels like a week. On Monday, (scarcely two weeks ago by my calculations) I began scribbling on a fresh page of my book of lists, optimistically titling it "Goals For This Week." I put too many words under those first four.
The Man of the House thinks that I need to lower my expectations. He doesn't read very many Mommy Blogs. I think I am about to give them up too, although I tell myself that I just read them to ridicule the preposterous glaze of perfection that coats everything in them. Was I more at peace with piles of laundry and unfinished projects before I read these {mostly Mormon} SAHMs?
Anyway, my expectations are about to experience a decrease in number. Tomorrow morning I'm going to slash through my "Goals" and pare things down to necessities.
Problem: in the moment, everything feels like a necessity. What can I cut?
Shop for Groceries.
I made it half-way through this errand today when an emergency halted my gathering at half-cart full. We will run out of milk tomorrow and the end of the world may just arrive. Milkacalypse.
Move the Little Girls into their New Bedroom.
Another chore that is started, but not completed. Will the chaos of belongings littering our upstairs hall kill us before the Household Dairy Shortage?
Various Preparations for my Youngest Sister-In-Law's Bridal Shower.
I cannot let go of these 4 or 5 combined tasks. I cannot let people outside our house know what an unachiever I am. If 50+ female friends and relatives show up at the shower location on Saturday and find the tables undecorated, they may just keep their gifts.
Sewing curtains.
Yep. I can let go of that. Since I'm pretty sure that curtains are an annoyance of questionable necessity. Plus there's the whole not-really-moved-into-their-new-bedroom thing that's going for me. Although the fabric I've picked out is pretty much perfect.
Finish Baby Gift for new Nephew.
Oh pook.
See? This is why I don't like slashing and paring down. I want to do this.
I want to do it all. I want to be just like the glossy Mommy Blogs in their unachievableness.
Except I'm not Mormon.
I am very much ok with that, so I guess I'll be ok with slashing my list.
Maybe the Man of the House is on to something.
mostly mormon, ha ha. I noticed that, too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fresh dose of honesty! I thought of that today as I plan to host Bible study at my house tomorrow. I see every little speck that must be cleaned- but then I think, what if my quest for perfection isn't what my friends need to see? What if those specks of dust make them realize I'm just another normal mom like them, struggling to cross off all those things on the to-do list, and sometimes just not getting to it all. Because we can't be perfect! But it's much easier to write about what I WANT to look like on a blog. My guess is those Mormon mommy bloggers aren't as perfect as they seem.
ReplyDelete