Welcome to My Corner of the World



I hope you find humor, inspiration and something worthwhile on this blog. I plan to be as candid as possible. Life is hard. I know, I've overcome a lot (and still have a way to go).
It doesn't help others if the rough things are glossed over.

I will no doubt fill this blog with stories of my achievements as a mom as well as my personal struggles.

I have an incredible husband whom I call "my sanity." I have two great kids with strong personalities. I struggle with anxiety and depression and I have had a colorful childhood.

I also have an addiction to Gilmore Girls, A&W Cream Soda, and Starbucks peppermint mocha.
I have recently added biking to my list of hobbies and also love to read, knit, and play tennis.

Welcome to my little corner of the world!

Monday, March 16, 2015

Clean Up, Everyone do His Share!

  I've been doing loads of self reflection lately and have been learning so much about myself!

  For instance:  I'm naturally a lazy person.  In my free time, I like to just sit, or watch TV, or read a book, or peruse Pinterest, or sleep...
  On one hand, that's ok.  That's how I unwind and relax.  On the other, it's not ok when I'm unable to stop doing nothing, be a grown up, and force myself to do un-fun stuff like sweeping, and laundry, and purging junk.
  That's where my childhood didn't lend me any favors.  I learned early on that if I yelled loud enough, I wore Mom down and I didn't have to clean my room.
  The laws of assumption (I'm sure that's a philosophy...) told me that it wasn't necessary for me to see my bedroom floor for me to know it was there.  It was a floor--they don't move (besides, all the toys would have fallen into a gaping hole if the floor ever did go somewhere...).

  And guess what those precious 10 years of not being forced to pick up after myself taught me?  That it's Much harder to learn those life skills as an adult than as a child.
  It would have been so much nicer for me to develop these good habits as a kid than to have to force myself to do it while I nag my kids to pick up after themselves.

    So, as much as I'd love to avoid my kids' dramatics (sometimes complete with sobbing, hysterics, yelling, and pouting on their beds) when I tell them to put their shoes away, take care of their laundry, carry their dishes to the kitchen, etc, I know they will thank me in 20 years.
  Well, they'd thank me if they knew how hard the other side of the coin is.  Luckily for them, I know how hard it is, and I shall save them the frustration in learning the hard way.

  There will always be something else we'd rather be doing when it comes to chores and work and such.  Self discipline is so very important for our kids.

  I have to chuckle when Bug whines about picking up toys he didn't play with and says something like "I didn't play with it, why do I have to pick it up?!"--I find myself thinking something along the lines of, "hey buddy, I didn't play with those toys and I don't want to pick them up either."
  But they have to get picked up, and even though sometimes it'd be so much easier (ok, quieter) if I'd just skip the 5 minute whine fest and say "you go play, I'll get it," or worse yet, "never mind," and just leave the mess (not to say that Never happens--I'm not perfect), that's not teaching him any kind of responsibility.

  I totally get that as adults they may choose to keep their house a bit messier or more cluttered than what I taught them, and that's ok.  At least I can be confident in knowing they have the Skills to reduce the mess and clutter if they so chose.