Simpler Times

I was talking to a friend the other day about how things were in "the old days".  We discussed how hard they had to work to take care of even the most basic of daily needs.  But then we also talked about how many things that stress us out didn't even exist back then.  Was it really simpler?  Or were they just as stressed out as we are? 

I don't know the answer to that question, but I could sure use less stress in my life.  My job is extremely stressful during this time of the year.  I need things at home to be stress free and enjoyable, but they aren't.  Why aren't they?  Why can't we have even a tiny bit of control about what goes on in our lives?  The only thing we can control is how we react to it, and I can't even seem to control that any more.  I am just angry all the time.

What stresses me?  My daughter, my messy house, my finances, and my weed filled yard.  What can I do about these things?  That is the major problem.  I can't seem to control any of it. 

My Daughter

She really is wonderful, but she has a few behaviors that make me want to pack her bags and pretend she never existed.  I know you perfect mom's are shocked by this admission and will hate me forever for even thinking it.  (Well, good for you!)  Last night she blocked the doggie door with a basket of laundry so her cats couldn't get out.  Well, they were able to slip around, but the dog wasn't.  So this morning when I went to check the dryer, I stepped in a puddle of "you know what".  Needless to say that the sleeping angel was rudely awakened from her blissful slumber by a thundering angry giant!  She  has been told numerous times not to block the doggie door.  This is only one of her many bad habits.  Change is really hard for her.  So is obedience.  She got so angry the other day that she was throwing stuff around.  I didn't know it then, but she busted the front of the glass in the microwave.  Now we are the proud owners of a brand new microwave.  (I didn't figure you should use duct tape on a microwave!)  She has the receipt hanging on the fridge and will be earning money to pay for the new microwave.  I am sure it will take her a few years, but it is important for her to do this.  Maybe she will learn to control her anger.  If you have any jobs for a 9 year old, she is available!

My Messy House

Well, that mostly goes back to my daughter also.  I will only take blame for a few areas.  The laundry room is still in disarray.  I am sure it will stay that while for  quite some time.  It is last on my list of priorities.  My kitchen needs a good cleaning and purging and organizing job done on it.  Actually, the bathrooms, my craft room, our bedrooms and living room are pretty good.  But the kitchen and dining room need work.  Ciara is a pro at messing up stuff and I have to stay on top of her constantly to do what I ask.

Love and Logic has a solution.  Here is what they would tell me to do.  For instance, I asked Ciara a month ago to clean her night stand off (glasses, cups, books, etc...) and use a clorox wipee to wipe it down cause I had the stomach flu and had put stuff on her night stand when I laid in her bed to watch tv.  She hasn't yet.  I am not surprised.  When I gave her the list of 5 things to do in her bedroom, she worked for 2 days and never got done. Welcome to the world of an adhd/housecleaning hating child.  So love and logic would say to do the work for her and make her pay me to do the work.  Well, she doesn't have any money, so I need to give her some money and then she can pay it back to me.  So I decided that I would give her $5 a week for allowance (cause the skating rink costs $5 and she loves to go there.)  Then if she doesn't do what I ask her to do then she can pay me fifty cents or so for the job.  Then she won't have enough to go skating each week...she will not be happy, she will start doing her stuff and not having to pay me and therefore be rewarded by having enough money to go skating.....  Sounds great in theory except for this:  I DON'T WANT TO DO HER CHORES.  NOPE, NOT EVEN IF SHE PAYS ME!!!   I am sure you perfect mom's out there are thinking that I should be cleaning up after her anyway or be shocked that I don't want to do her chores for her.  But I don't.  I have a very tiring, stressful job and I have my own stuff to do and I want her to do her stuff and then we can be happy!!!  Yeah, Fairy Tale stuff there, I know....  Besides, she still has to pay for the microwave.  How is she gonna pay that off and pay me to do her chores?

So we will continue on... and somehow make it through.

My Finances

Finances are always a struggle for me cause I like to buy stuff!!  That is no surprise.  I wish I could be one of these people who says, "I have better things to do with my money than spend it on ....."  Anyway, I have a very expensive hobby - scrapbooking and rubber stamping.  I love to buy things for that.  I really think the one with the most patterned paper wins!!!  Those are my very important tools and I need them!!!  I also have another expensive habit - eating out.  I can't stop eating out.  I wish I could.  I decided last night the biggest problem I have with eating in is that it messes up my kitchen and I have to clean it again.  Remember, my kitchen is messy already!!  You perfect moms are probably appalled at how much I eat out.  It is horrible.  I usually eat something like pudding, or a breakfast bar for breakfast, so I am HUNGRY  at lunch.  I have also dealt with 5 hours of kids by then and feel I deserve a nice lunch.  I don't have anything ready in the morning to take and there is really nothing in the house, so I eat out.  At night, it is the same excuse.  I am so tired, I have dealt with kids all day, I just want someone to hand me some food and I will eat it and go to bed.  I have really been working on myself lately to have simpler meals.  Ciara has learned that soup and sandwich are becoming more the norm than not.  Grilled cheese, club, tuna salad.... pair that with chicken noodle soup or ramen noodles and we are happy.  She is also learning that we drink water when we go out to eat.  I swear I spend $4 just for drinks.  It is also better to get food to go.  That way we do without the drinks and tip.  (Really, I am not trying to be cheap, I just have to be!)

So I vow to eat at home more.  I am trying new recipes.  I am stocking up on cans of soup!!  But lunches are still problems.  I am not good at planning ahead and it is hard to have leftovers when you are having soup and sandwich!!!  Perfect moms:  I appeal to you to send me ideas for lunches.  Tonight I made some lovely chicken strips so I would have some leftovers.  I wish I was always this prepared.  Don't tell me to eat those meals in the green boxes, cause I don't want to eat food in a box.  I want/need/deserve real food!!!

If I can make it through the  year I will be so much better off next year.  I did get my roof paid off!! Yahoo  Now if we can only go without a storm for a while so I won't have to have a new one.  I will have a large bill paid off in December and next year will be much better.  I will have an extra $600 a month.  I can't even imagine what I could do with that money.  New washer and dryer, micro and fridge for my classroom, new clothes, rip out the carpet in my house.... Oh, it will be wonderful.  I can make it through just 9 more months.  (9 more months of ramen noodles, YUK, but I will survive.)

My Weed Filled Yard

I gotta hire someone to do it.  I will have to make the sacrifice and pay someone.  I am not a yard person.  I don't have a working mower.  And even though I looked at the mowers at walmart today... I thought about finding a snake out there and decided to call someone!!  Yep, that is me, such a chicken.

Thanks for listening to my tirade about stress.  I am an optimist most of the time and think that simpler times are in my future.  I just have to persevere a little longer and those days are coming....