Letting Go

I've written about this before. There are times when I feel as if my world is a breath away from disintegration. Like Atlas, I'm balancing it all on my shoulders.

I wonder if that's really true. What would happen if I said no once in a while? Or even better, if I asked for help?

I'm about to find out. I'm going to honor my instincts and my sanity. If something doesn't feel right or if I don't have time, I'm going to say so. Here's the tricky part - I'm not going to feel guillty. I'm letting all that go.

Stay tuned!

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Is Parenting Stressful?

That's a question that a friend posed to me this afternoon. Her reasons for asking are her story to tell, so I'll just tell you about my answer. I'd love to hear your perspective.

I wish I could have given her a yes or no answer, but like most things in life, it's complicated. There are days when I am ready to pull out my hair because my daughter, my husband, my mother, and my job need me all at once. And then there are the days when being in just one of those roles is enough to send me in an all-out tizzy. Life has stressful moments whether you have children or not.

Most days, I'm good. I do the best I can and have faith that the rest will work itself out. I try to have some fun along the way. When I see my little girl smile or crack herself up telling a knock-knock joke only she can understand, I know it's all worth it.

Being a parent is hard work. It's a blessing, and honor, and a huge responsibility. It's also the most amazing journey you could ever take.

I forgot about my blog!

Hey, it happens to the best of us; we forget something. Instead of beating myself up about it, I'm going to let it go. It could be worse. I could have forgotten it was my turn to pick up my daughter from school or that it was my husband's birthday, both of which I've done before. So all in all, I'm not doing so bad.

What have I been up to lately? Mom is somewhat back on her feet, so things are very different and very much the same all at once. I now make sure she leaves the house in matching clothes, and she still calls me every morning at work to make sure I made it in safely. On Sunday, we were supposed to go to one store, and we ended up at four or five. Some things never change.

My little girl is growing up fast, and soon we'll be at that point where there is no need for a bedtime story or a kiss goodnight. I'm going to relish the time I have left in this innocent phase. Today we had a fashion show and read Frozen Noses.

I've also developed a deeper appreciation for tea and a slight addiction to Word with Friends. But more on that some other time.

Sorry I've been away so long. I'll try not to be so forgetful!


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The Weekend

I didn't blog over the weekend, but I don't want you to think I've given up already! I had plenty to get done this weekend, and sorry to say, none of it could be done in five minutes.

Haircare Saturday. My daughter has a long, thick mane of hair that I attempt to tame by keeping in braids. Those who know me understand this is a particularly difficult challenge because I can't do my own hair to save my life. Taking down the old braids, shampooing, blowdrying, and styling into new braids is, at minimum, 2 hours. It used to take 3, so I am improving. Thank God I only do that once a week.

After finishing Elyse's hair, I was off to have my own wig smoked. It was crowded at the salon, and nearly every one of Lisa's customers needed a relaxer, and one brought in a bag of weave. Needless to say, Saturday was shot.

Praising the Lord on Sunday. After getting all confused with Daylight Savings Time, we made it to church just in time to hear the preacher give the message. Then it was a trip to the airport to turn in my busted suitcase, which is another story altogether. It should have taken less than five minute to look up my info and offer an apology, but the computers were down. The clerk was nice to me, but I could tell her attitude was up about the system not working. She was growling at the computer and muttering about how her coworkers in the back room never did any work. Total time - 35 minutes.

A trip to Target, where Elyse and I also had lunch, two baskets of laundry, and the ironing of this week's school and work clothes rounded out the day.

So, the weekend turned out to be a five-minute bust. Oh - I did learn that I can unload and reload the dishwasher in 5 min., 15 sec. I'll take that small victory.

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