Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Going postal

This has been coming for a looooong time.
And it happened on Monday.  Because Monday is a special day.  It's the day we recover from Sunday.  At least around here it is.  Everything is at its' most disorganized & messy from a whirlwind weekend of activities, then everyone hanging out at home on Sunday. So Monday is usually a mess.
And last Monday was no different.  In between feeding & diapering & changing & holding Caroline and catering to Gus's every need, I was picking up, vacuuming, switching laundry loads, wiping countertops, doing dishes, cleaning the highchair, folding clothes, and putting away countless displaced items.  By the time the other kids started coming home from school, things were looking pretty good.
I still hadn't showered. Still in my exercise clothes & had never made it out for a run. I hadn't even checked my e-mail yet. I hadn't done one thing but clean up & take care of my little ones. Now, this is nothing unusual.  This is how most of my days go.  Some days I can see the beauty in it.  Some days I can't.  Last Monday was the latter.
I ran to the grocery store, then decided to go outside & do a little weeding before I start dinner & oversee homework.  And while I was out there, I was bemoaning the fact that I probably won't have time to get my vegetable garden going before it gets too hot. 
I come back inside about the same time Brian gets home from work.  He walks in & looks around & says something like, "Man, it's a mess in here."  I look around the room that was in perfect order a couple of hours ago that now looks like a tornado went through it.  My entire day's work.  For what?  For nothing!  You know what it is?  It's soul-crushing.  That's what it is.
Then my entire family witnessed Mom's nervous breakdown right there in the kitchen.  Crying and yelling.  Yelling while crying.  It was bad.  But man, I've never seen those kids clean up a room faster!
I'm just so sick of 99% of my time being used up by tasks that are undone within hours, or even minutes, of my doing them!  It's pointless!  It's insane!
So I'm done.  On strike.  We'll see how long it lasts.
I love order.  And I love cleanliness.  But right now I have to choose my sanity.

And because I can't do a post without a picture....
I sent the boys out to pick some oranges.  I come out to find this.  Not seen, is Zane eating Doritos in the treehouse.

16 comments:

val said...

i love your blog. you are so cute! and your photos are to die for! i couldn't agree more on this post. i only have two little ones and yet the house is constant mess madness. it's never-ending. this mothering gig is hard. glad to know others are in the thick of it just like me.

sarahandmatt said...

I'm with you. It sucks the life right out of a person to devote all day to cleaning and have it totally trashed in the 45 minutes after the kids get home from school. My new plan is to only clean up after dinner. That way it's clean when they go to bed and when I wake up in the morning. Of course, I'm the one living in the mess all day long.

brandy said...

I LOVE your blog as well. Your posts always make me smile and you have mad talent with the camera!
This post just spoke to me. It is my life every.single.day and it's so frustrating! I wish I could go on strike. Glad to hear I'm not the only one!

hizles said...

I can totally relate to this post! As I was reading I kept thinking "thank goodness it's not just me who goes through this!"

I have many times thought of making a post about the craziness that goes on in my home and how 3, sometimes 4, hours worth of work gets shot to pieces in a matter of minutes by little midgets (kids) and husbands. For my own sanity a sometimes do the same and just let it be.

Let it be sister!

www.hizles.blogspot.com

........ said...

Yup. That about sums it up. I have felt the exact same way for a while and lately it is definitely taking a toll on my sanity. Let us know how the strike thing goes...I've pondered it myself. I've decided that Hell is just a never ending laundry pile, of course, what does that say about my house then? Hell on earth?! Oy vey!!!

Stacy said...

Yesterday, I threatened to get rid of the chore chart and clean up every room by myself every morning after they leave. Anything the leave out on the floor will go in a box, get sealed up and put for sale at the community garage sale this Saturday. I was serious, but nobody believed me. Now, I have less than 30 minutes to box it all up. Gotta go.

HollyC said...

That's just what's been happening around here!! Then it just gets better when you see someone in town and they say you have it made and they wish they didn't have to work and could stay at home all day and do nothing!!!! AAARRRRGGGGHHH!!! Let us know about the strike...I may have my own...soon!

Luke and Hailie Girl said...

Man I couldnt agree with you more on how you feel..
enough said

Michelle said...

I'm so with you. Agree 110%. Sick of it. And I'm SO tired of my kids not listening to my "nice voice". Why is that the kids only do what I ask them to do when I use my "mean, ugly, yelly, screaming with tears voice".
I try to do what was suggested: Hum a little tune. There is Beauty All Around. But I find myself cursing outloud: "WHERE THE HE** IS THE BEAUTY"!?!!

nella said...

I feel your pain. This week has "early out" from school, aka: the worst idea the district ever came up with. The 2 SEP's I go to hardly make up for the disruption of everything! Love the kids, hate the chaos and mess. And can I just say, why do the kid's chores equal double work for me?!

Wanderingfamilies said...

I love your blog. You are WONDERFUL! I remember my own mom doing that and it worked for quite a while in our home. I wish I could go on strike, but with a 2 1/2 year old, a 1 1/2 year old (and one on the way)...I don't think I get that option yet...one day, I am following your example! Hang in there!

Katie said...

Amen!

pakosta said...

oh some days are just like that here, where I have to cry & beg and plead for someone to do something and help me out! and I only have 2 kids!
tara

Ammie said...

I broke down a few years ago and hired a housekeeper. It's such an LA thing to do and I felt like such a loser for doing it at first, but I am here to tell you that it changed my life!! It helped me to shift my focus back on the kids and their activities instead of on what needs to be done at home. It definitely took some of the pressure off of me. I still go postal every now and again but at least it's less often and not with the same intensity as before. :)

MayerFamily said...

been blog stalking for awhile, LOVE your blog, always makes me smile, and this POST made me want to shout out, I hear ya! amen!
p.s. Caroline is adorable

Tracey said...

Amen to your whole post!

Your photography is still my favorite.

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