Although
I LOVE
summer, I have to admit, I am a little relieved to see this one go. As the
mother to 3 small children, 3 cats, a dog and a 6 foot snake this summer for me
has been a very busy one.
On
top of all that I run a home based business and have Alex to take care of (he's
kinda needy) We also have a camper at the lake which is supposed to be
relaxing, but see, the lake for me means grocery shopping for two places,
triple the laundry and the responsibility of packing enough food and clothing
for 5 people and a dog. As well as making sure that the animals at home are
taken care of over the course of our 3 day absence.
This
summer was also a summer of sports for all 3 kids. Rory had soccer and dance,
Boots had Tball and Hudson played rookie ball twice a week. I am all for the
kids being active and involved BUT MAN was it exhausting on me trying to keep
up with all that. We also have 3600 sq. ft. , 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom house that
needs to be kept clean with little to no help from any other members of my
family. Not to mention the basement construction, this leads to a lot of dust
and dirt making its way up stairs. Also a lot of trips for me to the hardware
store to get the things on Alex's lists.
(first day of school 2013)
So
seeing my kids go off to school this year brought me great joy. I LOVE THEM, I
REALLY Do! But the fighting, messes and constant "Mom!?-ing” that has
taken place over the last 2 months is enough to send a person over the edge.
That all being said, I do find myself frustrated with the
transition from summer to fall.
Summer (as crazy and busy as it is)is spent with nightly
BBQs on the back deck, eating at the outdoor patio table, later evenings
outside with the kids, yard chores and maintenance and then wrapped up with
weekends at the lake. The Lake insists
of lazy days on the beach, camp fires and card games.
So here I sit, the mornings and nights are COLD, the days
are just bearable and I am still crazy!!
We can’t eat outdoors, I am struggling to do a meal plan
that does not require me standing outside freezing in front of a BBQ, the
camper and lake are closed up for the season and the evenings are getting shorter
and darker much earlier. By the time I
pick up with kids from school, do daily errands (post office, bank, grocery
store etc.) get both boys through homework, spelling words, and reading, do
some basic housework, get supper prepared and made in time for Daddy to get
home from work, eat supper, get 3 kids bathed and into bed, clean up supper
dishes and feed the animals, make lunches for the next day, I AM EXHAUSTED! The
sad part out of all of this is when Alex gets home from work and says “Hi Baby,
what’d you do all day?” I can’t come up with an answer… I spend the entire day
running in circles, barley finding time to drink a cup of coffee while it’s
still hot, but yet, when this question arises my answer is always the basic “oh
you know, worked, took care of the kids,
made supper”
(frustrated 2nd grader, doing homework with Mom)
As a woman/Mom do we ever get the credit we deserve?
Probably not… I am guessing I am not the only woman in the world that struggles
to find the balance between work, house, partner and children. There is only
one of me, but yet I am stretched in multiple directions all hours of the day.
I love 8pm…the meals are eaten, dishes are cleaned, counters
are wiped, kids are bathed and in bed, any chores not done at that point can
wait until tomorrow. At 8pm all the
lights are turned off, I switch to the low light of the living room lamps and in
the kitchen I ALWAYS have candles lit. I usually pour a glass of wine and plop
my ass on the couch to snuggle in and watch whatever series Alex and I are hooked
on at that moment or whichever reality show we are glutenly addicted to. At 8
pm my world slows and my house is quiet. I love 8pm.
(Monday evening on the couch)
So now the fall season is here in full force. The winter doldrums are setting in and soon
we will be shoveling, scraping and plowing that awful white stuff away.
(Front porch decorated for Fall)
Finding balance in the new routines of a school year with the kids is trying on
my patience, but I will persevere as I always do.
I hope all of you are having a fantastic fall thus far.
Thanks for listening…
~Holly
Remember: