I turn my back to, say, scrub a toilet (hypothetically). Or to pluck my eyebrows, which have, sound the alarm, grown together in the middle of my forehead from neglect. Or to stand in front of my closet wondering how, exactly, I came to Spring 2010 with not one weather-appropriate shirt that is fit to be worn in public. And in those precious, fleeting moments, one or more of my children starts to weep, needs help applying rubber cement to his or her eyelids (!) or spills an entire, full box of cereal on the stairs.
And still we press on, don't we? Trying to get something accomplished during the daylight hours? Here are a few of the items I cannot seem to scratch off my list:
~Editing a manuscript about a quirky girl and an Amish boy, to be released next spring. Incidentally, the Amish are woefully productive, as is my friend and fellow writer, Erik Wesner, who just released his book on the Amish. Check out his book and his fascinating blog and further decrease your productivity but have MUCH more fun than organizing your silverware drawer.
~I've been getting some speaking things together for The Sweet Life this Friday (Come on out to Connxions, Des Moines girls! There will be chocolate!) and some upcoming fun in Austin, Texas, and Sioux City, Iowa.
~And I've REALLY been trying to pluck my eyebrows with more regularity. It boggles the mind how quickly one can go from looking sufficiently groomed to the female counterpart to a Yeti.
What are you up to? What happens when you turn your back these days? Anybody else in need of one of those weird vacuums that follow you around like a stray cat, picking up your messes? How's the productivity quotient out there?
I caught Ethan squeeging pear juice in his hands then running them through his hair this afternoon.
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ReplyDeleteWow. That removal notice looks stern.
ReplyDeleteActually, I just used the wrong verb tense. Here's what I meant to say to Erin regarding Ethan's pear pomade:
Had you just given him a bath? Of course you did.
I'll bet he smelled very Bath and Body-ish, in a ripe sort of way.
I actually DO need the vacuum that follows you around in a weird creepy way and have discussed the possibilities here at our house but we are afraid it will cause our dog to go into some kind of fit while we are not home. We draw this conclusion because he already freaks out when we take out the normal vacuum to use it. I am beginning to lean heavily in the direction of a somewhat regular cleaning and lady, and like you Kim, my eyebrows are growing dangerously close to one another so that leads me to also believe that I am in need of a somewhat regular eyebrow lady. There is real possibilities of a dual business there that someone needs to explore!! :)
ReplyDeleteI have a very profound admiration for moms who stay home with their children every day. I am only home on the few days when our daycare provider is off. I am always amazed at the things I find myself saying upon discovering what my son has accomplished in the 2 minutes I may have been out of the room: "I know the dog licks you, but you DO NOT lick the dog;" "Please ask Mommy to help you when you are finished on the potty - DO NOT wipe with the shower curtain." If only he were tall enough to push a mop... Good luck with your list!
ReplyDeleteYeti?? in your 40's you will relish the days you looked like a Yeti. As you grow older your hair growth quadruples (is that a word?) The up side is when your kids get older this gives you ample time to pluck (up to an hour a day) because your kids won't drink Drano while you aren't paying any attention to them. You become like Evan Almighty you pluck,wax,shave and an hour later you have a full beard and hairy armpits!! You HAVE have a cleaning lady because you would literally be a Yeti without hours of grooming everyday. Productivity with kids,aging,etc. is never enough it seems!!
ReplyDeleteWhen will you be in Austin?
ReplyDeleteJoanne-
ReplyDeleteI'll be in Austin the weekend after Easter to do a retreat with the Austin Christian Fellowship ladies. I love those girls and can't wait to laugh with them. :) Are you in that neck of the woods?
I once left the room for :10 thinking my two, two year olds could watch a video while I showered...I came back to find most of our off-white couch covered in Ketchup. The final blow came when I spent too much attention frantically cleaning the ketchup mess...only to find they had covered the kitchen floor in concentrated dish soap...the kind that does not really ever wipe up...pc of advice...never add water to concentrated dish soap no matter how tempting it may be....the kids began screaming in pain as they played in the bubbles and wiped it in their eyes. NICE!
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