I am always honest about my lack of natural organizing skills. I am a work in progress in this area. (An entire category called "disorganization" is a dead giveaway, huh?)
To be fair, I am still pretty new at all this homemaking stuff. In the days of yore, ladies got married, set up housekeeping, and started running a house. A while later, children came along and they adjusted as they went. Plus they probably learned a lot about being a homemaker as they grew up.
Not so my generation! I've been a wife for the better part of two decades and a mom for one decade.....and something as simple as allergies can throw our whole household into a tailspin.
See, I became a full-time homemaker a little over 2 years ago. I already had 2 kiddos and a house full of accumulated stuff. (I would REALLY like to wake up one Saturday and clean the whole house in 3o minutes like I used to.) We were in the thick of life and THAT was my training ground for full-time homemaking. Oh, while learning to homeschool too.
Which is why I'm still learning.
Anyway, we went to some local historical places yesterday and enjoyed it so much. What a great way to spend a Saturday! Part of the local historical place was "restoring the landscaping to historical accuracy" which S said was fancy talk for "we aren't mowing anymore." :) It was really neat to see all the native plants around and it made me wonder out loud if pioneers had allergies. I wondered that as I had been sneezing my head off for half the afternoon.
I managed to cook supper but by 8:00 I could no longer keep my eyes open because they were burning so badly. Plus I had taken an allergy pill and I was sick of blowing my nose so I just went to bed. I woke up....get this.....12 HOURS LATER! I would have been really nice had I been able to breathe.
So, I woke up in a still-groggy, drug induced state and realized that it was impossible to get all four of us dressed and out the door in 45 minutes for church. IM-POSSIBLE! Wanna know why?
I normally do all this on Saturday evening, but I needed to locate outfits for all of us, iron them, find socks that match the outfits, and fix 3 heads of hair. Plus feed 2 faces and find Bibles, shoes (again that match), etc. Forty-five minutes was not enough. So instead, S went to church and I sat on the couch and stared while the drugs wore off.
My point is, our lives should not be SO disorganized that it takes this much effort to get ready for church. If the laundry were done, if some clothes were ironed, if breakfast was thought out, etc. it would be so much easier.
Still working on it. I'm new at this. But I want to be able to face down an allergy emergency and come out victorious.
What sets your household on "out of control" mode?
I have those moments, too. In fact, we had a weekend quite like the one you described about 2 weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteTake heart, Brenda. I have been at home for 14 years and still, there are days when it all falls apart.
And can I be honest? If it wasn't for the fact that I have my big girls (15,14,14), who are responsible for some chores that I never even have to think about anymore, there would be a lot of "fall apart" days around here.
Homemaking is an art, as I'm learning. But because families, grow, change, and adjust, just when one routine feels right, it needs to be tweaked. Making it very hard for anyone to be a perfect homemaker. It's a lifelong learning process.
You are so creative and your strengths shine through even as we read your blog. Like the little work area you made for S- how great was that! Or your Olympics study a while back- complete with games!!! I never would have thought of that.
So you missed church yesterday. Don't make a habit of it, but I don't think they'll be any "perfect attendance" awards being handed out if heaven: a great disappointment to those whose acts of service to God go no further than an hour and a half on Sunday. You watch well over th ways of your houehold and clearly do not eat the bread of idleness. Stay encouraged.
I know this is longer than my typical one liner comment, but I sensed you could use some encouragement today.
Blessings to you, Brenda.
Well actually, I'm sort of glad to hear that this kind of thing can still happen to you! :)
ReplyDeleteYep my house is also disorganized right now due to moving and allergies. My boys allergies, which are food allergies among others. So I have to learn to cook in whole new ways. Cooking for their needs takes up a lot of time. No milk, no nuts, no coconut, no pineapple, no strawberries, no food coloring and still have to figure out some other allergies that they are having.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the baby is allergic to soy and to milk, so he has to eat goats milk, which is, of course, very expensive to the tune of $5 a half gallon.
And people wonder why my house is still disorganized from moving. Yep. Those allergies in children two and under who can't tell you how they are feeling sure will do it.
Whoa! OK Katy-Anne that's some major allergies you are dealing with!!!! Yes, I would think that would consume great amounts of time. I'll bet you wouldn't want to try to deal with all that without the internet!
ReplyDeleteWell, I came to encourage you, but Terry did a fabulous job to encourage me along with you!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, ditto what she said. And, I hear ya! We all have those days.... and just think. When our kids are older, how cool will it be that we won't have to iron their clothes or clean their bathrooms? :)
Oh, and what sets my house into "out of control" mode? When I don't work my plan. I make great plans to get a lot of things done-- then I hop on the computer. Which reminds me. I should go. :)
What is this "ironing" you speak of? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI would be heartily impressed by anyone who could get the family off to church 45 minutes after waking up. I'm sure they are out there, but I certainly couldn't accomplish it and I only have myself and one little one to get moving (I assume my husband can get his own self going!).
Sometimes, there is nothing wrong with not ironing, not wearing socks, and eating doughnuts for breakfast!
ReplyDeleteI have tried ... and I liked it.
yes brenda - you are very creative and it is nice to know that we can't all keep our houses clean!
ReplyDeletekathy
I can so relate to this post today! I have dishes piling up in the kitchen, but I need to empty the clean ones out of the dishwasher before I can begin to load the dirty ones! That's just the way it goes sometimes!
ReplyDeleteAnd allergies stink. DH, me and two of my boys (the third is too young to know yet) have so many allergies I have to post a list to keep track of just the food ones - we have 19 foods we have to rotate or eliminate. I need to look at what is in the air right now because my nose is so stuffed that it is hard to sneeze! :)
Hang in there. You've got great company! :)
Wow...good question. As of late THESE are things that get us off track...
ReplyDelete*Neighbor's donkey on the lose...must help get donkey back.
*Neighbor showing up with pet cow...in ziplock bags for future dinners. All three Teague children in tears...
*Small child falling from treehouse...forgot to look down.
*Large child running 4-wheeler into barn...thought it was in reverse...large child needs driver's ed.
*Very small child pulling on ear...what is that thing that very small child has in his hand...ear tube! Yuck.
That was LAST WEEK. Did I mention that none of this was listed on my ever so organized chalkboard? I need a special column just for these BLESSINGS!
Seems like I remember you being kinda "allergic like" long ago. Maybe you need some daily allergy stuff...
Yeah, I think I finally got the dosage right--not comatose but not sneezing either.
ReplyDeleteand OH NO the COW???? Seriously? That is so sad.....
country life is certainly interesting!
When I am sick it throws a HUGE whack in our plans.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there are the times I have everything all planned without asking the Prince what he thinks, and that throws a wrench in things too.
And sometimes I wake up and don't feel like doing anything, and that makes the house a mess too.
Hmm..seems like it's ME who puts the house in chaos! Well, not EVERY day... :0)