Baby steps

This morning, I made V miss her favorite show (Bunnytown) so that I could watch Dooce on the Today show. It was horrid. The way Kathy Lee and that other chick talk and laugh over each other was almost more than my already frazzled nervous system could bear. If I wanted to watch women talking over each other hysterically, I'd watch The View. So they flew Heather and her husband out to NYC for THAT? But I was just happy to watch it. I have been sick for a couple of days and yesterday I barely left the bed and when I got up today, I had 198 blog entries on my Bloglines and was thrilled that I hadn't missed something. I was also down 2 pounds from all the soup and Jello, so I celebrated that with a lunch of scrambled eggs and cheese and 2 slices of cheese toast. My throat still hurts, my nose is stopped and the coughing is just beginning, but at least my appetite's coming back.

I am slowly coming to the realization that if someone's going to keep this joint clean and presentable, it's probably going to have to be me. I seem to be ill-prepared to do the job. I remember before we had V, we talked about how wonderful it would be - R would work, of course, and I would stay home and I'd keep the house clean and play with the baby. Oh the fun! I told another mom at the park the other day that having V has really knocked me on my heiny. She looked at me like I was crazy. Of course she has three kids so she's probably thinking that I have no idea what I'm talking about. And she's probably right.

But it's true. I'm a low energy person. My motto is why go outside when you can stay inside with the air conditioner on? I've never kept a really tidy room/car/house/desk. And I hate it. Right before V's nap, R popped in and gave me some sushi. His boss is in town and they went to lunch and he brought me their leftover sushi. But his boss stayed in the car because we have CHAOS. I keep telling myself that it'll be different with every move and yet it's not. So, while I'm not planning to join the FlyLady mailing list (all those emails freak me out), I'm going to start checking the site every day and working on it. Baby steps!! My excuse is that when V is napping, I'm working (except right this minute, since I'm blogging, but I'll be working, um ... soon), which makes it hard to find the time to clean up. And I think, especially after yesterday (he took the day off from work because I was sick), R would agree with me that hanging out with V is a full-time job. But I can set the timer and do 15 minutes of decluttering. I can do a load of laundry a day. Right?

What I can't do is clean that bathroom toilet. It is out of control. So I'm hoping that R will read this and clean it for me because I'm afraid that in my weakened condition, I could take a nasty spill down the stairs and subject myself to further school absences.

Comments

[Rachel Whetzel]

Wanna be my flylady buddy? Once I get my web cam, we can wash dishes together!!! lol

[Hooked on Houses]

So sorry you've been sick, Maya!

I can totally relate to the low-energy thing and how parenthood saps what little get-up-and-go you've got. If it makes you feel any better, it does get easier as they grow up and start going to school during the day. I didn't think I'd survive my son's babyhood/toddlerhood/preschool years. But, miraculously, I lived to tell about it. ;-)

I'll never forget when I was at a neighborhood block party as a young mom, feeling like I might not even get through the day without collapsing, and another mom with a baby who was my son's age announced she had decided to get pregnant right away again so her kids would be close in age. I blurted out, "You're crazy!" I just couldn't imagine intentionally planning for a second baby when I was barely handling the one I had. She looked at me like _I_ was crazy. Motherhood was a breeze for her, and she did handle that second one just fine. I envy those high-energy moms, I have to admit!

Hope you're feeling 100% again soon! -Julia :-)

[Shelli]

ha ha ha. I'm sorry your sick - as a matter of fact, I am just now getting sick! My throat is scratchy and driving me crazy, and, of course, A is sick too.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is a poor housekeeper. I do laundry, dishes, make the beds every day, but the floors get gritty, dust balls float under the tables, and the bathroom w/ the cat litter is a biohazard zone. I do get off my lazy ass when things get really bad, but only one area of the house gets cleaned at a time. I do love having people visit because that's when my house gets really clean, and G will help to boot.

The other day we were taking a walk and met some new neighbors. They are near retirement age. We were talking about the people who used to live in their house - we rarely saw them, and we think they got divorced. Anyway, the woman commented that the house needed a really good cleaning. She said the windowsills (you know the space where the window closes down on) looked they had never been cleaned at all. I thought to myself, "You're supposed to clean there?" ha ha ha. And then later G said, "We've never cleaned our windows." I said, "No." Then I was relieved he said, "Obviously they don't live with little children."

[marta]

When I was a girl, I didn't daydream about weddings or things like that, but I did have this idea that I would marry a modern man who would do his fair share of the housework. Now that was a daydream. I suppose when I made my wish I wasn't clear about what fair share actually meant...

I've not quite reconciled myself with this and I refuse to look at Flylady because I'd have to admit that my husband is NEVER going to clean the bathroom, much less the toilet. Twelve years of marriage ought to be a long enough lesson, but not for me.

Glad your feeling better, but don't get better just to clean house.

Oh, and P.S. Having one kid pitched me on my heiny too. If I had another I'd never get off the floor. In fact, I'd just turn into a dust bunny and give up.

[sheri]

I am catching up on your posts. I really hope you are feeling better now that it is 20 days later. :)
If I could just have a week without having to pick up the clutter created everyday, I could do some serious cleaning. It seems like all I do is pick up after everyone. Before kids, I was a clean freak. I couldn't even go to bed with a glass sitting out(yeah I was a freak). My house now looks like one of those houses you see on "cops". I went into our second bathroom the other day. I never use it anymore and the toilet was disgusting. I only have time to clean one. The sad thing is, I still haven't cleaned that toilet. Hmmm.
I can see why the lady at the park looked at you like you that way. You will find out!! Now, I can't believe I griped about the one. I do think that I would still be going crazy if it was just Grace though. Having her through me for a loop too.

I am a total homebody too. It just takes too much effort to go out. By the time we all get ready, I don't want to go anywhere. Plus, not a fan of 90 degree plus weather like today.