Mommy Rantings

From April this year, just not posted.  I'm cleaning out the "drafts" folder.

Every few weeks, I go through a very selfish phase where I feel overwhelmed, overworked and under-appreciated.

I'm in that week now.

There are so many things I'd like to do -

• figure out how we're going to spend our tax return
• draw up plans for the basement bedroom(s)
• figure out what furniture will go where, and what we'll need once we have a bedroom or bedrooms in the basement and the nursery can become an office/classroom
• continue my "What's the Willis Household Eating Now" blog
• do more schoolwork with Jack
• play with the kids
• read with the kids
• talk to the kids
• plan the menus
• pay the bills (okay, so I don't really want to do that, but I need to do that)
• rent a car for our trip
• write out directions for Grandma and Grandpa Willis when they watch our kids during our trip
• figure out who is going to clean the house before our trip
• get the furniture cleaned
• somehow tackle the remaining work in the bathroom
• and then there's that never-ending pile of laundry and dishes

- just to mention a few.

So, as I was thinking about this the other day on my drive to work, and wishing I had more time, I realized some things.

I'm sure there's enough time, it's a lack of desire to tackle the "to do" list when things are settled enough to allow coherent thought.

And for whatever reason, my thoughts turned to the lovely old houses we have around here in St. Paul which have three season front and back porches. Many of these porches are full of boxes, and miscellaneous stuff. Due to all this "stuff" the owners really can't enjoy the porches for what I can only assume was their intended purpose - a place to relax and enjoy the weather without the bugs.

My analogy: I won't enjoy the time I do have because of all of the "stuff" I allow to sit around claiming it needs to be done. I keep a "to do" list that keeps me from enjoying life more, all in the name of "gittin 'er done".

You see, I'd say that save for some memorabilia, if we don't need it, let's get rid of it - except for when it comes to my "to do" list.

Maybe it boils down to this; I spend a lot of time doing things that are necessary (at least on some level), and manage to avoid those other "to do" items because they're not as urgent as say, getting groceries or putting dinner on the table.