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| Image courtesy of Meliha Gojak, rgbstock. com |
Yes, it's true. I was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book and eating my Special K, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up with my head in the bowl and milk spilling into my lap.
Classy, no?
So after I dried myself off, cleaned the table, mopped the floor, and made myself something a little less messy to eat (toast--no jam), I realized two things: I'm tired (obviously), and I'm overwhelmed.
More and more I'm discovering that there are too few hours in the day. My house looks like a hurricane tore through it. Our most-used room is the kitchen, and sometimes it seems almost as bad as this by the end of the day:
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| Image courtesy of Michal Zacharzewski, rgbstock.com |
Yikes!
And it's not just the kitchen. Many of the other rooms are the same, and no matter what I do, I just can't seem to keep up. Most days I feel like I'm spinning my wheels as I do certain tasks over and over again--dishes, laundry, meal prep--and never seem to find the time for the other things that need to be done, like dusting and vacuuming and cleaning up the piles of random stuff that just seem to accumulate overnight.
By the way, I blame this guy for the towering piles:
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| Image courtesy of Marja Flick-Buijs, rgbstock.com |
Sure, he looks innocent and all (easy to do when you don't have a face, I suppose), but he's really the biggest pack rat around--although he must be collecting stuff by using magic because I just noticed he has no arms. Whatever. He's the culprit. Definitely.
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| Peace! Photo by Fran Hogan, Courtesy of Public Domain Pictures |
And maybe when I return, that little armless gnome will have used his magic to clean up the house.
Yes--doubtful, but a girl can dream!
What would you take to your desert island getaway?
hmmmm pretzel sticks, ice-cream--a cell phone---magazines---a few books----cookies and other snacks---actually i pack way to much when i just go to church--and i probably would not like a deserted island--if there were no shops:)---i bet your house looks fine!
ReplyDeleteI should take my cell phone, too--but only for the camera. All I want is peace and quiet. :)
DeleteI wish I could say that my house does look fine, but ugh. It's such a mess. I have to clean up so that the delivery guys can bring in the dryer. Better get on that...
If I could take anything and have it be a free and secret vacation, I would take some music, lots of books, vodka and wine, and stuff to grill over an open fire. And chocolate and Cheez-Its. And my iPad. And matches for my fire. And a blanket. And a mosquito net, because even in a perfect place there are bugs. Aaaaah. I need a vacation too and my house is the same way. I have half my kitchen island covered with "end of the school year" crap that the school sends home. No idea what to do with it. And another counter is half covered with the stuff from school and other accumulations from the last several months that need to make it into my boys' memory boxes. But they are all the way upstairs and I'm so unmotivated!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. I have absolutely no motivation, even though I get sick when I look at all the clutter. I have such a hard time throwing things away, especially anything that belongs to the kids, like coloring pages and little projects. I guess I need someone to come in and do it all for me. My sister has five kids and no trouble at all throwing stuff away. (I guess you'd have to be like that if you had that many kids.) Maybe we can trade houses for a week, and she can clean up my mess for me.
DeleteTotally relate to this, Dana. I dream of a getaway also, although I want to take my husband - just the two of us. And maybe when we come back the little house cleaning fairy will have come and taken care of everything in my absence!
ReplyDeleteSo, believe me, you are not alone :)
That's good to know! :)
DeleteYou've just described me! I totally need a getaway. I think I'd be happy just listening to the waves and not having to say the words 'Stop fighting' to my boys on a minute by minute basis!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. I can't even count how many times I say that each day...
DeleteI think just some music, some books and an iPad would be enough for me! Like Annalisa said, I'd be quite happy just listening to the waves!
ReplyDeleteThat really would be relaxing!
DeleteWhenever I watch House Hunters on HGTV, I marvel at the 700 square foot apartments in New York and Europe. They CAN'T have the junk and dirt the rest of us manage to accumulate. That must be the way to live.
ReplyDeleteYou might be on to something there. Maybe I'd better talk the husband into a move. The problem is, I'd still need someone to come in here before we left and get rid of all of this junk. Darn my sentimental self!
DeleteI'm not much of a beach girl, but I'd sit under a tree with a pile of books and Sawyer (from LOST)!
ReplyDeleteNow if I weren't looking for peace and quiet, I wouldn't mind that scenario at all! LOL
DeleteAw, Dana - I know that feeling! Hmmm, what would I take to a desert island? Predictably, it would have to be books, but I wouldn't mind taking Jude Law or Johnny Depp for between chapters...
ReplyDeleteGood choices! :)
DeleteI so have days like that. If I had a maid, she'd probably be holding picket signs in my driveway. :)A few weeks ago when we had all the grand kiddies at the park, I closed my eyes and was thinking the same thing, when "Maw maw he's touching me, Maw Maw he's bothering me!" Not a minutes rest. :)
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. :)
DeleteI don't think I'd need to take much with me as long as I got to spend some time on the beach; the sun, sand, and saltwater are usually enough to turn me back into a semi-decent human being. I think it might be about time for a beach fix!
ReplyDeleteHope you get one soon!
Deletewhy arent there cleaning gnomes! i'm putting that on my bday list!
ReplyDeleteYou and me both!
DeleteI'll bring a book and iTouch for music. A blanket, emergency light, insect repellant, food, water, cell phone, clothes-- nah I can't travel light. lol
ReplyDeleteAll good items, though! :)
DeleteA desert island getaway would be perfect! I really need an escape place to finish my novella. Although, I can only imagine I'd be spending all my time out in the sun and splashing around in the beautiful blue ocean the entire time. Who needs to write a novella? Who needs to go back home, ever?
ReplyDeleteLOL. I wish somebody else would do the dusting and vacuuming. If gnomes won't do it, then maybe brownies will?
If not the gnomes or the brownies, maybe the borrowers would help. ;)
DeleteDana, I've been feeling the same way lately, and I keep promising myself that I will take that vacation. What would I take? Lots of books and magazines, my Netbook, and a notebook and pens. Oh yeah, and lots of coffee.
ReplyDeleteHow could I forget the coffee! :)
DeleteIf it's just a day or two, I'm not sure I'd take anything. The gentle sound of the waves would help me sleep the whole time if I wanted.
ReplyDeleteExtra sleep sounds heavenly!
DeleteI keep the kitchen spotless (don't look at the tumbleweeds of dog hair under the table though) and clean it every night before bed. The rest of the house is neat but dusty. I have a big helper home from school for the summer. During the school year it is bad. Laundry always piles up.
ReplyDeleteI would love a vacation, even a mini one. I would take lipbalm, magazines, an iPad (do I even have internet??) a swimsuit (nobody can see me, right?) comfy clothes, vodka (do I have ice?, olives?) and my husband in case there are snakes to chase away or a fire to be started. Who am I kidding, I am not desert island material. How about a hotel with a bar?
The hotel with a bar sounds perfect! :)
DeleteI need your tips on how to keep the kitchen clean. Every time I pick things up, someone comes along and destroys all my hard work. Help!
Poor you! Yes, you seriously need a break!
ReplyDeleteWhat would I take on an island? A hammock, water, and lots of books.
Wouldn't it be great to be able to read all day?
DeleteOh my, I feel the same way lately! Our house is too big, we have too much stuff, I clean the same things over and over, so much of homemaking is rote, mindless tasks. You sweet thing, falling asleep in the cereal! You DO need a break. I don't know how you hit all the blogs...you visit so many and make such nice remarks. (we follow some of the same, so I see you.) :-) Maybe try to take one day a week for yourself? Is that possible? Maybe swap kids w/ a friend one day, and on your day off...just nap or read. Parenting young ones IS exhausting. God bless you!
ReplyDeleteYou're sweet. Thanks. :)
DeleteI love your idea! I should see what my friend has to say, although she just had a baby so she might not want to take on two more kids in addition to her three--at least not right now. :)
My laptop and an endless supply of battery power. No internet though. I can leave that alone for 2 days. A few books.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem with having more hours in the day is that the kids would just use them to create more messes.
You're probably right about that. LOL
DeleteIt can get overwhelming and you are right, there are never enough hours in the day! I know I get tired and overwhelmed and I don't have young ones around and I'm sort of on strike about doing anything around the house and I don't cook, so I can imagine you have to be overwhelmed with all that is on your plate to get done in an "average" day. I'd love a day to myself just to enjoy the quiet and aloneness; and of course a big bag of chocolate and an internet connection :)
ReplyDeletebetty
That chocolate is definitely a must! :)
DeleteI'm glad we had a quick visit to my uncle's place in the suburbs and had a quick breather away from the hustle and bustle of the city life :)
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy a vacation soon... We need it every so often. Take care!
Thanks, Farida!
DeleteFunny. I find the thought of going on vacation...overwhelming. It sounds easy. Like you said, just pack a bag. But its never that easy. Sometimes I just want to hide in the car for a few hours. Like the minivan in the commercial where the woman is watching movies and eating popcorn. That could be fun.
ReplyDeleteI hope things come back together for you soon or you get those few days in the sun!
Heather
You're right--it is a lot of work, especially when you're traveling with kids. I'm the one responsible for packing not only my stuff but all of the kids' as well. It's stressful...
DeleteThanks, Heather!
I would take books, books, books...of course! I wouldn't go for a beach, probably something woodsy, mountainy. I'd take lots of fruits and veggies and Popcorn! Oh, and my laptop!!
ReplyDeleteSounds perfect, Fran! :)
DeleteIs there a picture of you asleep in the cereal?
ReplyDeleteOne thing my mother told me when I had kids, was that it deson;t matter how hard you try, you will never have a clean house with children around. Some days the best you can do is pile the mess in a corner and hide it behind a curtain.
Me, I wouldn't go to a desert island, I'd camp out in a bookshop when it was closed.
Since I was the only one home at the time (except for the kids, who were sleeping), nope. I can't even imagine the ways my jokester husband would find to torture me if he had been home to snap the picture. :)
DeleteYour mother is very wise. I'm going to take her advice tomorrow.
I love your bookshop idea!
When the kids are grown they'll remember more the time spent with you than whether the house was spotless. ;)
ReplyDeleteI've got it made. I'm kind of living on my desert island right now--and with ALL my stuff! :)
Thanks for reminding me of this. Sometimes it's hard to look past the clutter and see what's really important. :)
Delete