Some of you may remember I posted here about my, um, challenges with house-cleaning and the war I decided to wage on my house. Well, I'm not anywhere close to winning this war, but I am making progress. As of right now I have bagged up about 15 garbage bags worth of stuff! Some of it stuff to give away, some of it just plain garbage, a couple of bags of toys send to the grandparents' houses, and SEVERAL bags of outgrown kids clothes (and some of my own...and will probably pare down even more before it is all over!)
I had really meant to be completely done with all of this by now, but you know how things go with kids. And gardening - which also means canning season is beginning and will soon be in full swing. I hope I survive till school starts. ;) Although that might be a better idea, to take it slow till school starts and I only have Audrey here with me....hmmmm.....
Update: I cleaned out my pantry and added 2 more garbage bags! :-O
Showing posts with label sahm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sahm. Show all posts
Friday, July 8, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Snowballs and Suggestions
I know you have heard of the snowball effect. Something that isn't a big deal gets added to something else that's not a big deal, and keep adding, and soon you have a boulder rolling at you.
That's how mommyhood feels sometimes.
Don't get me wrong. It's the best job in the world. I get to spend all my time with those precious little people I love the most. I know that I am doing my best to raise them in the Lord, and not having to depend on someone else and hope they are getting enough.
But then the little things start piling up.
I guess it wouldn't be so bad for me right now if I wasn't on the down hill side of my thyroid returning to normal. I have these little stages I go through, pretty predictably, when my levels are going up and down. Right now we are in the "really emotional and unmotivated" stage.
Audrey still isn't sleeping through the night. She goes to bed fine on her own at bedtime, but is still wanting to get up and nurse at least once every night, sometimes more. (Which Dr. P says is actually not normal. Usually if they get to sleep by themselves at bedtime, they usually do fine during the night. It would be my kid that was in the minority here.) Dr. P said to try nursing her about 30 min before bedtime, instead of right before. Tried that. She's going to sleep fine, but still waking up. He said if that didn't work, to let Jeremy get up with her and give her a sippy cup with water or juice in it instead of me nursing her, and she ought to decide it wasn't worth it. Next step would be crying it out. Here lies my problem. I am supposed to wake up my dear sweet husband, who works long hours in the blazing sun, is dead tired every night, and hasn't been feeling well lately on top of everything (ulcer maybe? gallbladder? who knows), and get him to go take care of a screaming baby when he should be sleeping and preparing his body and mind for the next day at work. Of course, she's not going to let me give her a sippy, because when she sees/smells me, she says "Oh, good! It's time to nurse! Wait a minute, this sippy is NOT what I want!" and proceeds to wake up the whole house screaming. Which is also the problem with letting her cry it out. In the first place, I am just not a cry-it-out kind of mom. And Audrey is not a cry-it-out kind of baby. She cries and screams herself sick, I cry, everyone else in the house gets woken up and ill. So, I have been caving and still letting her nurse in the middle of the night. Which means, too, that I am not getting enough sleep at night, and that makes me tired the next day and then I don't get the things done that need doing, which makes me ill and emotional....and it all snowballs. Sheesh. Any suggestions?
I wold also love any suggestions on helping a bed wetter. Troy is waking up wet a lot of nights. He was doing pretty good for a while, but it seems like it is getting worse again. He says he just doesn't wake up and realizes he needs to go, and then wakes up wet. Today is the second day in a row he has woken up wet. It doesn't seem to matter when he has his last drink before bed, or what time he goes to bed. And we always make him use the potty right before laying down. A friend suggested waking him up in the middle of the night and making him go (I'm up anyway, right?) May have to try that.
Sorry this was kind of a negative post. I really don't like doing those kinds of posts. But I would love any suggestions anyone might have. :)
In other news, more busy-ness here at the Johnson homestead. Troy's birthday party is this weekend, so I will be putting my home purging (which, by the way, is going good when I actually have time to do it - I've got 3 boxes of out of season and too-big-for-the-boys clothes for storage, 3 garbage bags of stuff to toss, and 3 bags of just garbage so far) on hold while I figure out whether or not I really can make a Justice League cake. Wish me luck!
That's how mommyhood feels sometimes.
Don't get me wrong. It's the best job in the world. I get to spend all my time with those precious little people I love the most. I know that I am doing my best to raise them in the Lord, and not having to depend on someone else and hope they are getting enough.
But then the little things start piling up.
I guess it wouldn't be so bad for me right now if I wasn't on the down hill side of my thyroid returning to normal. I have these little stages I go through, pretty predictably, when my levels are going up and down. Right now we are in the "really emotional and unmotivated" stage.
Audrey still isn't sleeping through the night. She goes to bed fine on her own at bedtime, but is still wanting to get up and nurse at least once every night, sometimes more. (Which Dr. P says is actually not normal. Usually if they get to sleep by themselves at bedtime, they usually do fine during the night. It would be my kid that was in the minority here.) Dr. P said to try nursing her about 30 min before bedtime, instead of right before. Tried that. She's going to sleep fine, but still waking up. He said if that didn't work, to let Jeremy get up with her and give her a sippy cup with water or juice in it instead of me nursing her, and she ought to decide it wasn't worth it. Next step would be crying it out. Here lies my problem. I am supposed to wake up my dear sweet husband, who works long hours in the blazing sun, is dead tired every night, and hasn't been feeling well lately on top of everything (ulcer maybe? gallbladder? who knows), and get him to go take care of a screaming baby when he should be sleeping and preparing his body and mind for the next day at work. Of course, she's not going to let me give her a sippy, because when she sees/smells me, she says "Oh, good! It's time to nurse! Wait a minute, this sippy is NOT what I want!" and proceeds to wake up the whole house screaming. Which is also the problem with letting her cry it out. In the first place, I am just not a cry-it-out kind of mom. And Audrey is not a cry-it-out kind of baby. She cries and screams herself sick, I cry, everyone else in the house gets woken up and ill. So, I have been caving and still letting her nurse in the middle of the night. Which means, too, that I am not getting enough sleep at night, and that makes me tired the next day and then I don't get the things done that need doing, which makes me ill and emotional....and it all snowballs. Sheesh. Any suggestions?
I wold also love any suggestions on helping a bed wetter. Troy is waking up wet a lot of nights. He was doing pretty good for a while, but it seems like it is getting worse again. He says he just doesn't wake up and realizes he needs to go, and then wakes up wet. Today is the second day in a row he has woken up wet. It doesn't seem to matter when he has his last drink before bed, or what time he goes to bed. And we always make him use the potty right before laying down. A friend suggested waking him up in the middle of the night and making him go (I'm up anyway, right?) May have to try that.
Sorry this was kind of a negative post. I really don't like doing those kinds of posts. But I would love any suggestions anyone might have. :)
In other news, more busy-ness here at the Johnson homestead. Troy's birthday party is this weekend, so I will be putting my home purging (which, by the way, is going good when I actually have time to do it - I've got 3 boxes of out of season and too-big-for-the-boys clothes for storage, 3 garbage bags of stuff to toss, and 3 bags of just garbage so far) on hold while I figure out whether or not I really can make a Justice League cake. Wish me luck!
Friday, May 27, 2011
I Just Thought My Heart Beat Fast
Nothing like having a police officer knock on your door to make your pulse go up.
Like mine needs any help breaking the speed limit.
You automatically think the worst. Someone has had an accident or something else really bad.
(Also keep in mind my house is almost half a mile off the road, so chances are he isn't at the wrong house.)
Not at my house.
He just knocks on the door and says "Jeremy's not at home, is he?" No, I'm sorry, he's not. He hands me his business card. "If you don't mind tell him to call me. I had talked to him about getting some gravel." I sure will. Sheesh. Alright, heart. You can slow down to your normal speeding and get out of the reckless driving zone.
You just never know what is going to happen here.
Did I mention it was right before I was about to get in the shower, so I had my hair all pulled back, make up smeared under my eyes...you know. The works when you are a SAHM of 3. And the boys looked like little orphans. They both were in just a pair of shorts and had been eating oreos and koolaid. You can only imagine.
P.S. The boys were not concerned at all that there was a police officer at our house (possibly due to the fact our brother-in-law is a police officer), but were very concerned about the unmarked car he was driving not having lights on top of it. Go figure.
Like mine needs any help breaking the speed limit.
You automatically think the worst. Someone has had an accident or something else really bad.
(Also keep in mind my house is almost half a mile off the road, so chances are he isn't at the wrong house.)
Not at my house.
He just knocks on the door and says "Jeremy's not at home, is he?" No, I'm sorry, he's not. He hands me his business card. "If you don't mind tell him to call me. I had talked to him about getting some gravel." I sure will. Sheesh. Alright, heart. You can slow down to your normal speeding and get out of the reckless driving zone.
You just never know what is going to happen here.
Did I mention it was right before I was about to get in the shower, so I had my hair all pulled back, make up smeared under my eyes...you know. The works when you are a SAHM of 3. And the boys looked like little orphans. They both were in just a pair of shorts and had been eating oreos and koolaid. You can only imagine.
P.S. The boys were not concerned at all that there was a police officer at our house (possibly due to the fact our brother-in-law is a police officer), but were very concerned about the unmarked car he was driving not having lights on top of it. Go figure.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Battle of the Clutter
My house and I are at war.
I'd tell you you should see this, but it ain't pretty. Clothes and toys are taking over. Where are my magic cleaning elves when I need them??
Ok, really. The house has kinda gotten out of control. Every time I think I am almost caught up, something happens - the kids get sick or we spend the night out of town - and BAM! Instant CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome - thank you, FlyLady). You know what I'm talking about. When someone unexpected shows up, or calls and says they are on their way, and you almost have a heart attack from panic and embarrassment.
I have decided that while I may lose some battles, I will win the war.
We are talking massive clean out here. I decided to start in one end of my house, our bedroom suite, and work my way out. Yeah, so far I have gotten my vanity done, and started on our closet. This is going to be a 5-minutes-at-a-time operation. It WILL get done, though. It may take all summer, but it is going to happen! (If you don't hear from me again, it is because my closet ate me. Someone please take care of Jeremy and the kids.) I took a cue from Mary at Owlhaven.net, (who I read got the idea here) where I read she was doing a 40-bag challenge. The gist of it: get rid of 40 bags of stuff from your house. I have 2.5 bags so far, just from starting my vanity and closet area. Just wait till we get to the kids' toys. This should be a piece of cake. ;)
Anyway, I'm just taking this cleaning things a step at a time. Still (after almost 8 years) trying to find my groove. I have many natural talents, but housework is evidently not one of them. Prayers for fast learning appreciated. ;)
I'd tell you you should see this, but it ain't pretty. Clothes and toys are taking over. Where are my magic cleaning elves when I need them??
Ok, really. The house has kinda gotten out of control. Every time I think I am almost caught up, something happens - the kids get sick or we spend the night out of town - and BAM! Instant CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome - thank you, FlyLady). You know what I'm talking about. When someone unexpected shows up, or calls and says they are on their way, and you almost have a heart attack from panic and embarrassment.
I have decided that while I may lose some battles, I will win the war.
We are talking massive clean out here. I decided to start in one end of my house, our bedroom suite, and work my way out. Yeah, so far I have gotten my vanity done, and started on our closet. This is going to be a 5-minutes-at-a-time operation. It WILL get done, though. It may take all summer, but it is going to happen! (If you don't hear from me again, it is because my closet ate me. Someone please take care of Jeremy and the kids.) I took a cue from Mary at Owlhaven.net, (who I read got the idea here) where I read she was doing a 40-bag challenge. The gist of it: get rid of 40 bags of stuff from your house. I have 2.5 bags so far, just from starting my vanity and closet area. Just wait till we get to the kids' toys. This should be a piece of cake. ;)
Anyway, I'm just taking this cleaning things a step at a time. Still (after almost 8 years) trying to find my groove. I have many natural talents, but housework is evidently not one of them. Prayers for fast learning appreciated. ;)
Monday, May 16, 2011
Overwhelmed
Ok, I don't usually rant, complain, vent, or whatever, online or in person. And hopefully this won't really turn into any of those things - hopefully it will stay a good, healthy "get some things off your chest" deal.
We'll see.
I have just been a little overwhelmed lately. Inside. Feeling...not really like a failure, but like things could (and should) be better. Doubting myself and some of the things I have always thought about myself. It's a bit humbling to look at yourself and realize that at 27, you really aren't sure who you are. I have spent a good part of my life trying to be who I thought everyone else wanted me to be. Now, I am struggling to figure out who I really am underneath all of that. I am realizing I just want to be the person God intended for me to be in the first place. The person who is being the best Christian, wife, and mother I can be, relying on God's Word and His Spirit to guide me in my decisions, and really listening to what He is saying. Choosing the path He is leading me toward, not necessarily the one I think will make me happiest or be the easiest.
For me, that starts with (after following God and being a Christian, of course) being a wife and mother. That's what my life is all about. I am an intelligent person. I have no doubt that I could have pursued any career I set out after, and still could. Throughout my life, I went back and forth over what I wanted to be when I grew up. A singer, a doctor or nurse, a teacher, a paralegal (which is what I ended up getting an AAS in, just bc it was easy). But through it all, I always knew deep down that I wanted to be a wife and mommy. In some of my studying lately, I have been thinking about what that means. Maybe not always what I thought it did. Much more studying and praying and discussing with Jeremy exactly where this is leading me, leading us. Probably more posting on it later.
Again, we'll see.
For now, I have priorities. To keep studying and praying to see what God has to say on what I need to be doing. To make my home a safe, happy haven for Jeremy and our children. To be there for Jeremy and be his helpmeet, no matter what role he is needing me to fill at the time, from listening to serving to dragging tree limbs out of the yard because he cut down one of our trees yesterday. ;) To be a loving moma to my kiddos, raising them in God, teaching them what they will need to know to live in this world, but not follow in its sinful ways. To just be a good Christian in general.
We'll see.
I have just been a little overwhelmed lately. Inside. Feeling...not really like a failure, but like things could (and should) be better. Doubting myself and some of the things I have always thought about myself. It's a bit humbling to look at yourself and realize that at 27, you really aren't sure who you are. I have spent a good part of my life trying to be who I thought everyone else wanted me to be. Now, I am struggling to figure out who I really am underneath all of that. I am realizing I just want to be the person God intended for me to be in the first place. The person who is being the best Christian, wife, and mother I can be, relying on God's Word and His Spirit to guide me in my decisions, and really listening to what He is saying. Choosing the path He is leading me toward, not necessarily the one I think will make me happiest or be the easiest.
For me, that starts with (after following God and being a Christian, of course) being a wife and mother. That's what my life is all about. I am an intelligent person. I have no doubt that I could have pursued any career I set out after, and still could. Throughout my life, I went back and forth over what I wanted to be when I grew up. A singer, a doctor or nurse, a teacher, a paralegal (which is what I ended up getting an AAS in, just bc it was easy). But through it all, I always knew deep down that I wanted to be a wife and mommy. In some of my studying lately, I have been thinking about what that means. Maybe not always what I thought it did. Much more studying and praying and discussing with Jeremy exactly where this is leading me, leading us. Probably more posting on it later.
Again, we'll see.
For now, I have priorities. To keep studying and praying to see what God has to say on what I need to be doing. To make my home a safe, happy haven for Jeremy and our children. To be there for Jeremy and be his helpmeet, no matter what role he is needing me to fill at the time, from listening to serving to dragging tree limbs out of the yard because he cut down one of our trees yesterday. ;) To be a loving moma to my kiddos, raising them in God, teaching them what they will need to know to live in this world, but not follow in its sinful ways. To just be a good Christian in general.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The SAHM Blues (a song of my own composition)
(in the back ground plays the "Bad to the Bone" beat)
When I was just little
All I wanted to do
Was get hitched and have babies
When I got out of school
Well I had those babies
When college was done
And now for my babies
I'm stayin' at home.
Mom stays at home
Mom stays at home
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
Mom stays at home
For just a little while
I sewed with a friend
But it gotta kinda tiring
Staying up nights on end
So now I got one job
And one job alone
Taking care of my babies
And stayin' at home
Mom stays at home
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
Mom stays at home
Sometimes I feel useless
And my brain it gets bored
It's losing the info
That it once stored
I think "What am I doing?"
Sometimes I feel so alone
Yes this is the down side
Of stayin' at home
Mom stays at home
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
Mom stays at home
But then I remember
How important it is
To teach and to raise up
My sweet little kids
Don't want anybody
Else raising my own
Oh, I am so glad
I'm stayin' at home
Mom stays at home
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
Mom stays at home
When I was just little
All I wanted to do
Was get hitched and have babies
When I got out of school
Well I had those babies
When college was done
And now for my babies
I'm stayin' at home.
Mom stays at home
Mom stays at home
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
Mom stays at home
For just a little while
I sewed with a friend
But it gotta kinda tiring
Staying up nights on end
So now I got one job
And one job alone
Taking care of my babies
And stayin' at home
Mom stays at home
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
Mom stays at home
Sometimes I feel useless
And my brain it gets bored
It's losing the info
That it once stored
I think "What am I doing?"
Sometimes I feel so alone
Yes this is the down side
Of stayin' at home
Mom stays at home
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
Mom stays at home
But then I remember
How important it is
To teach and to raise up
My sweet little kids
Don't want anybody
Else raising my own
Oh, I am so glad
I'm stayin' at home
Mom stays at home
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
M-m-m-m-m-m-mom
Mom stays at home
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