Monday, March 18, 2013
On how to clean up spilt milk
So what’s the cure for crying over spilt milk?
Step 1: Say paldies,
merci beaucoup and thank you to all
the dear people that wrote, called, commented and volunteered to hop on a plane
after my last post. I believe it has never been nicer to hear the “you are not
alone” refrain, nor has there been a time more important to heed the call not
to give in to the mommy guilt complex that runs rampant these days due to the
proximity to social media. We’ve got some exciting adventures to look forward
to in the coming months, and I just have to get through those days, the disastrous
as well as the not-so-bad ones, one day at a time.
Step 2: Set alarm for 7am and after grabbing a cup of coffee
leave all the boys at home and hit the yard sales. Can you believe this only
cost me $1.50? Add in a couple of children’s books, some kids clothes in
great shape, and you have a successful morning alone.
Step 3: Get home just in time to accompany the boys to the
company Easter egg hunt. Watch five million children (I might be exaggerating just
a bit but really, those eggs were gone in minutes!) scramble across the lawn
stuffing eggs into their sacks like they were born doing it. Eat popcorn,
cotton candy, mini cupcakes, chips, hot dogs and possibly more mini cupcakes.
Watch your youngest son become enamored with the Easter bunny and go back for
seconds. Cheer on your older son on his first amusement park ride. Start
gearing up for our first Easter back in the US.
Step 4: Convince husband to get takeout for dinner, and
spend time in kitchen starting a batch of rye bread instead of making dinner. Let
dad handle the diapers while up to elbows in dough, luxuriating in the smell of
baking bread.
Step 5: Have friends over to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
with a big lunch and some NY style cheesecake. Be grateful for not having mowed the lawn yet this year
during our search for four-leaf clover.
Step 6: Send the boys out to get shamrock shakes while
tidying up the kitchen and enjoying some uninterrupted phone time.
Step 7: Me-time with a glass of wine and some blogging.
I feel better already.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I had such a similar experience of maternal existential angst (result in me sobbing uncontrollably in the shower) mainly set off by sleep deprivation. AND I had a very similar "recovery" Sometimes just stepping back into your life and have even a small success or sense of accomplishment (even if it is just getting a shower and putting on some clothes you feel OK in) can turn things around. Glad to see things are turning around for you!
ReplyDeleteEvery day is a new day. Some are worse than others, but there are a few Fridays mixed in!
DeleteNice to hear that you are on the "road" again!:)
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing those pictures of the Easter party at HNA. How fun - and I love the Easter bunny picture. Too cute.
ReplyDeleteNice! I love your steps for recovering sanity. After spending 3 days solo parenting while my husband was out of town and barely holding it together, I had a total meltdown last night on the couch wondering about all the ways I might be ruining my son for life. After a run to the grocery store for some ice cream, things started to seem a lot less dire. And I was reminded by a couple of good friends who are also parents of the importance of being gentle with myself when toddler-hood feels out of control which was also very grounding and comforting. Bread making sounds heavenly. When I was little my Mom used to make bread and she always seemed to time it just right so that when the bread was ready for kneading I was just arriving home from school and could get out some of my frustrations by a few good punches to the warm bread dough. Aah, fond memories.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that feeling that you're ruining your son for life the worst??? I feel like I'm not ding enough for them, that I'm being selfish, that I should be reading/singing/playing with them more, ALL the time. But there are only so many minutes in the day, and I just can't be in toddler-land the whole day... So yes, baking bread helps: the kneading as well as the smell once it's baking.
Delete