Sunday, October 19, 2014

Musings

I am a terrible housekeeper.  The house is cluttered, with mess strewn everywhere.  I can't seem to get on top of the mess with fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, or all day every day of trying. 

I am terrible at staying organized on what needs to be done when to get things done in a timely manner.  I can't seem to remember appointments unless they're written down in three different places, and there are at least two alarms to set to make sure we get the kids to school on time.  And to remind us to go get them. 

I can say that I have never forgotten one of my children in the car.  I can say that I have never forgotten to feed them. 

But that's really all I can say.

And I look around my house, and my cluttered schedule, and I wonder what the hell I was thinking, bringing two children into the world to care for, when I can barely take care of myself.

Today...today, we took them to a nearby large town, where there's a place where someone's model train hobby got way out of hand: two engines pulling open cars with bench seats just wide enough for an adult and a child around two miles of 24" tracks decorated for Halloween.  We weren't sure we'd be able to take them this year--the weather was a little iffy, but today dawned bright and beautiful, if chilly.  And so, we got up, made the decision, threw the kids into clothes and shoes, and hustled them off to take a 20 minute trip around that two mile loop of tracks. 

I look around, sometimes, and wonder what the hell I was thinking, thinking I could take care of two tiny, near-helpless people.  And then, on days like today, just for a little while, I stop beating myself up, and just enjoy the wonder, excitement, and joy in their eyes.

8 comments:

  1. We all went through that time; don't beat yourself up about it. It will get better.

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  2. I know exactly where you're coming from. I look around my house at the never ending laundry pile at times and often think to myself 'what in the hell was I thinking?', but then I see the joy on their faces when they know I put clean undies in their dresser drawers for them. It kind of makes it all worth it.

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    1. Laundry is the chore that never ends...unless you go naked to finish it all at once.

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  3. It is those moments that make it all worth it... Trust me...

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  4. I actually have forgotten a kid in the car (an baby at the time, asleep), but only for long enough to get into the store, stop short, and walk quickly back out to the vehicle. That was our third child, I think. With more than twice that many, now, including two simultaneous babies, I find myself counting repeatedly, whenever we go anywhere. If I can't assign numbers one through seven to a distinct short person, or I'm not carrying a baby, something is probably wrong. I haven't left anyone in the car lately, but I'm probably that much closer to dementia.

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