Monday, September 27, 2010

On Being the Mom


Sometimes it's just hard to be the mom, ya know?
You're always supposed to be happy and smiling and positive and supportive and slaving and cooking and cleaning and improvising and playing and laughing and teaching and driving and signing and watching and bathing and dressing and cheering and coloring and helping and changing and washing and folding and ironing and advising and singing and reading and kissing and hugging and chopping and grating and listening and counseling and talking and preparing and enjoying.

Sometimes I just don't feel like that.

Sometimes I just want to be left alone for two solid days in my house left alone in my clean house left alone reading books alone and studying alone and eating anything alone and watching HGTV alone and going to the bathroom alone and showering alone and organizing alone and doing whatever I want alone.

I know that I'll miss all this commotion someday.

Sometimes I wish it was someday.  Just for a day . . . or two.  Maybe even a whole weekend.

As long as I'm dreaming, I might as well dream big.
blog

27 comments:

  1. I am with you! Alone is something that a mother doesn't get enough of. And that list is long...only you would need to have a repeat sign at the end there to be more accurate. Smile.

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  2. I remember feeling that way years ago when all my kids were home! A few times I booked a hotel to just get away by myself, but I never could follow through with it. (I decided I would miss my family too much!) Now they are all grown and gone, and you guessed it...just as you would like to be alone for a day or so, I would like to revisit when my house was busy and chaotic!

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  3. Well if that's ALL you do, what's the problem?

    Just kidding! Love ya!

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  4. I'm glad you came to my blog. No need to apologize that it took a couple days. And yes, I should have come up to you at softball, but I'm a chicken! Sorry.
    I love this post. I need my alone time too. Lucky for me my hubby and son love camping, so usually about the time I'm ready to pull my hair out, they go camping and give me my space for a night. (Sometimes, I suggest that the camping trips come more often!)

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  5. PS I finally posted about 2 of my heroes. Someday I will get to the one word for me.

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  6. So soooo true! I'd like a few days just to catch up with out everyone here! I'm finding that even the days with all of them in school aren't quite enough. I'm getting selfish aren't I?

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  7. Oh I SO hear ya on this one!
    Especially on going to the bathroom ALONE!! Well maybe not espcially that one, but it did make me smile and RELATE!!!
    Enjoy the day

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  8. Ohhh. . .that first picture is too cute! It's like she is saying. . ."what's up mom"!

    Hope you have a little alone time today!

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  9. Anyone with the schedule you constantly keep would be tired of giving their all every minute of every day. You seem to do it so effortlessly, but it has to wear on you. As you know, I have always cherished my time alone. We all need it to recharge. At my age and situation, I crave being with my loved ones because it is a treat and not the basic fare. Hang in there and hopefully you will find little pockets of time alone. I know you love being with your family more than anything else in the world, but a little "me" time is priceless, too.

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  10. Do you ever get anytime or do anything for yourself?
    I ask this because yesterday I was feeling a little resentful and a little like this post and it wasn't anyhing like a bolt of lightening striking me or an epiphany, but I came to the conclusion that if I didn't get 1 hour out of everyday to do something for myself that I was going to feel like this post ALWAYS. It seems so simple and easy enough to get 1 hour to yourself everyday (sometimes it isn't), but we have a wonderful greenbelt system near our house and I took a beautiful 1 hour walk yesterday. I would do it again today, but I have a child at home sick, so it will have to wait until dad gets home for me to get my 1 hour walk in, or whatever I'm going to do for myself. I find that I have to leave the house though. There are too many distractions if I stay at home.

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  11. I'm there. And yes some days it feels a little quiet, but overall it is wonderful to pee in private : )
    Dana

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  12. What a perfect post, Jen! And boy, can I relate...even all these years after the fact.

    =)

    PS. Your very neat family is lucky to have you. And if you ever get the urge, you can escape to San Jose. (Do you know the way...?) My guest room and its unbroken stillness await you.

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  13. Seriously- even just going to the bathroom alone is a magical thing in the land of Motherhood. It's like winning a prize or something.

    You should stop and get a pedicure sometime *wink wink*

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  14. Jen -- I know exactly how you feel. Funny though, my youngest (of four) just started Kindergarten, and it is SO unusually QUIET, I have to admit that I kind of miss the noise!

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  15. I'll trade you a day for a day. Seriously! Regularly, if you want! During school hours, of course :)

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  16. I remember those days, now long gone. .....but I'm not going to give you lots of words like 'it goes by too fast' or 'enjoy them while you have them'...nope - I'm here to tell you that I NEVER get over the thrill of getting on a plane with a magazine and a little handbag and no little one to be amused...and I never get over the pleasure of the newspaper and coffee on a quiet morning. That doesn't mean I didn't love the whirlwind while I was in it - I'm just really into enjoying the moment :)

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  17. Right there with you. I went to the bookstore ALONE tonight for a few hours and read stupid magazines and drank a latte. I feel so much better. Hope you got some alone time. :)

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  18. so make your man take the kiddos out to dinner or something so you can have some me time?

    or is that a totally spoken-like-a-single-childless-idiot thing to say?

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  19. I just keep looking at those darling pictures.
    I hear you. Take advantage of every alone minute that you can....maybe added all together those few moments will be enough...or call a sitter and give yourself a morning out!
    That would be so refreshing!

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  20. I hear ya! I think I am in desperate need of quiet, alone time!

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  21. so funny, cause i was just thinking about this last week. i think how much i could get accomplished with just a little alone time. then daisy goes somewhere and mr lkp goes out on a long-haul and then i'm beside myself with loneliness and boredom....and i veg or do something totally lame! grass is always greener i guess. at least for me. (:

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  22. I love when moms are real and you were very real here. Most moms with lots of kids have to keep this tight upper lip..never let their gaurd down. It feels good knowing that even strong moms need to vent a little....
    Great pictures...beautiful family!!
    Lisa

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  23. Yeah. If you wanted my sympathy you should never have opened with a photo of the cutest little girl on Earth. :)

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  24. Loved this post and love your blog! I found you through cloverlane. It is so refreshing to read a blog that is real and honest. Keep up the great work.

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