Chores for Children

Mark has many baby chores. Most of them involve buttons.
1.Scream
2. Press all the buttons on the washing machine and turn the knob.
3. Turn off the computer.
4. Steal the computer mouse.
5. Take dad's computer mouse.
6. Empty the cabinet with no child lock.
7. Use the kid laptop.
8. Change the language of the laptop on the floor.
9. Throw things in the tub.
10. Turn on the computer.
11. Get the remotes and sit in my car using them.
12. Move a chair to get the remote off the table.
13. Also get the scissors on the table.
14. Climb up to see dad's sleep mask.
15. Take mom's pedometer. Throw it in the trash.
16. Throw my sippy cup in the trash.
17. Scream really loud.
18. laugh at how loud I can scream
19. Turn off the baby monitor in my room. Break a piece off.
20. Unlock the cell phone. Call people.
21. Pull out chair. Climb on chair. Change settings on the sewing machine.
22. Scream.
23. turn on the dishwasher. Or turn it off if mom forgot to turn on the child lock.
24. Play with the buttons on the area heater.
25. Empty the cabinets in the bathroom.
26. Take the toys out of the bin. put the toys back in the bin.
27. Sit in my car.
28. Play basketball.
29. Screech. then scream.
30. Play fetch with myself.

what are your chores?

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The Great Shed Is Upon Us

Many of our friends have noticed that Austin seems to lose hair every time you pet him. They seem not to believe that we brush him. Wow- he is losing lots of hair, you should brush him.
Really? Why didn't I think of that?
Now don't get me wrong, Austin loves being groomed. Even though he frequently smells like aerosolized waste we do take care of him. Austin is a pretty pretty princess after all. he knows how important it is to look pretty.
One of the benefits of going camping this last weekend was that the great shed started with Austin. Each year it happens. Austin gets brushed for maybe an hour and still loses hair as he walks around. He lays on the floor and leaves great clumps everywhere. I vacuum twice a day and constantly pick up hair. It is then that I realize that some of Austin's undercoat is white. Our backyard is covered in a layer of this short white hair.
Tips for surviving the great shed:
NEVER brush the dog inside.
You can get your dog groomed, but you will need to do it every day for two weeks.
Your house will still be filled with hair.
A mutt can have a short lab coat and thick coat like a Shepherd.- Way more hair than other dogs.
You are lucky if your dog is a princess like mine.
Don't waste your time with a lint roller. it won't help at all.

Do you ever wish that there was a vacuum hair removing product for dogs? Although our little princess is terrified of the vacuum so we probably wouldn't use it.

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The Cleaning Crew

Do you ever dream of paying someone to clean your house? Do you ever wonder if they will do a good job or not? Once I thought of hiring our babysitter to clean our house and making a checklist. Then I realized that my mom checking off our bathroom chores as a child has ruined my appreciation of when John does chores. He may have done the dishes on my turn but he forgot to clear and wipe off the table.
I am honestly a little happy about being critical. Even though I live in constant fear and shame when people are coming to visit, I know HOW to clean my house.
and now I have a rotating checklist to prove it.
Today I Did a few chore lists
Dishes
Straightening
Danielle's Room
Hallway
Living Room
Piano Room
Kitchen
I didn't do the bathrooms. That would have been a catch up since it is on Monday's list. This week is a little different since we were out of town and I am tired.
tomorrow is technically Etsy day where I focus on the office and try to make lots of stuff. That might mean I get to work in the basement. Or I play outside with my kids and try to mow the lawn. Or catch up from being out of town on the day I was supposed to deep clean my bedroom- I tried to do that today and missed laundry day. Yesterday I missed the bathrooms. I started them today and got a little distracted. I will be re-finishing the sink and cabinet and painting the walls. Also maybe replacing the sink and faucet. I tried a stone spray paint for funsies for the counter top. It looks great so far. At least all of Danielle' drawers are folded and her closet only has clothes that fit her. My room can just be messy until Saturday I guess. Does anyone want to donate money for new light fixtures, toilet, sink, and wall tile? I didn't think so- so this no money but I have some paint lying around renovation might not be the most impressive thing you've ever seen. I am convinced it will be a little bit of an improvement though.
right after I did the piano room I had a picnic with my kids on the floor in there. smart. very smart.

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Two Kiddos and Medical School

Lists Solve Everything

Since John started medical school I often find myself wishing I had a housekeeper, yard worker and maybe a personal assistant with a fantastic car.
I like getting things and I don't know what it is but two kids and a house is way more expensive than renting with one kid. I thought about getting a baby food maker so I could make Mark's food. Then I realized I don't really cook that often for us and if I had one more appliance I really would have to install that last shelf in the pantry myself.
and then how would I be able to look at it and think "John is going to put that up" at my leisure?
My house is like another baby. The yard wants to cost more than baby Mark.
I want to do all these things but then when I wake up in the morning I really just want to take a nap.
I asked other moms about it seems bleak.
One mom told me she was just in survival mode for the first year of her second child's life. She said she just dropped everything except for taking care of her kids.
Another mom said it wasn't hard with two- she had a hard time once it got to five.
Another mom said she swore she would never have another kids and now she hasn't been able to get pregnant and feels like God is punishing her.
Another friend said I am just trying to do too much.
Another friend said I might never have a really clean house.
Another said she has never mowed a lawn in her life.
I just wonder if it would be rude to ask these moms if they want to trade off one morning a week watching each others' kids just so we can sleep or clean. I don't think they are offering to help, but maybe they really want to. I'm not exactly in need but it sure would be nice to have someone come visit and help me. again. since that already happened. oh dear, I guess it shouldn't become a pattern.
Some wives with husbands in school seem proud of how hard it was- like I was a martyr and now the world owes me something. I don't want to be like that Also John gets more and more educated and I feel myself staying the same. He is drowning in a sea of homework and I am drowning in a sea of laundry and my big sacrifice is trying to tell John to keep going when he gets stressed and wants to quit- yes of course we can make it. I think. See you in two days when your weekly test is over. I guess our ideals change as do our interests- I want to look at window coverings on the internet and John wants to show me this really cool video online about a SKINNED HAND where you can see all the muscles.
awesome.
Of course here is my strategy so far:
Goal I threw away:
I want to be actively working at home the entire time that John is working on school
New Goal: I want to have a clean living room floor every night.
Goal I threw away: I will work out for at least 30 minutes a day every day
New Goal: I will leave the house at least once a week.
Idea I've abandoned: Being a mom is just as busy as medical school
New Idea: Being a mom is more mind-numbing than medical school.
Thing I struggle with: Danielle seems to need LOTS of attention now that we have two. Never wanted to be fed before... I get frustrated with her
Solution: we signed her up for piano lessons. and soon I suspect gymnastics and dance will be added. Or mixed martial arts. And of course preschool.
Old Idea: there is no point in pre-school. If you have one kid you might as well have many home and you can teach the kid things faster anyway.
New Idea: Preschool is a fantastic mental break. One kid is easier than two. and maybe she will get some exercise. I wonder if she will need to talk to me less if she gets to talk to lots of other kids.
Problem: It seems like John has so many important things to do. I just want to have an important board game night every week.
Coping Method: John has a calender so full of classes it seems like there is no time left for studying. My response? I wrote out all the things that I think I need to do to have a truly clean house (yard not included) and scheduled them all on a google doc. Now my day looks a little more important.

Ideas for later:

• going on trips to visit people so John can study a ton for a week or so while I am with family.
• paint the house and do all the yard work myself. If I think of it as a contest maybe I will do it. Or I can keep a log of it and charge John when he has a job for all the yard work- I bet I could save up enough in my phony log to earn a car.
• Keep A Journal of ridiculous expectations I have and try to schedule them all. This can go on the shelf next to the broken promises journal and times I was right journal. Do you think people would buy these things? I have to write all this stuff down before i forget it. So I guess before I die...
  

and suddenly I feel much better. I hope I will be able to help my kids and husband and feel like I am not just a support character but a happy individual that accomplishes a lot. And I think I will be able to forgive myself for being human and falling short of my expectations.
now if only I could also get that yard worker...

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