Juggling Act
Over the past few months it has really come to my attention how difficult my life as a woman, wife, employee, house goddess (okay, cleaner), and mother really can be at times. I mean, look at all those titles I have and that is only to name a few! I could add hairdresser, psychologist, chef, clown, singer (of mostly nursery rhymes these days), impersonator (a beached whale and waddling duck is my forte during this stage of my pregnancy)…
Anyway, I have also come to realise that I am never actually doing any of these jobs to perfection (except the impersonator) and it is extremely hard to swallow this when you are a perfectionist.
The house is in a shocking state and I would be embarrassed if visitors were to arrive uninvited. This is the most challenging of jobs at present because as I put things away, Milla seems to think it’s her job to just get them right back out again. Whilst vaccuuming, Milla believes it is her job to sit on the vaccuum cleaner like a horse and scream ‘Woo Hoo!’ at the top of her lungs.
Grocery shopping has become more challenging too. Since Milla has started walking, she wants to walk everywhere and putting her in a trolley is like prison. I often get to the last piece of rock hard cheese and a major milk shortage before I venture out. Therefore, meals look a little sad by the end of the week and I often find myself wondering what I could create with a tin of baked beans, lettuce leaves and some pasta.
And as a wife…well, my husband is now sleeping on the sofa bed because the beached whale impersonation is best in bed. I have kneed him in the private parts in the middle of the night just trying to move my huge bump from one side to the other! I am now sleeping with five pillows and at 2:30am I can hear him sleeping peacefully in the next room. Thankfully one of us is now getting some sleep.
I am slowly learning that something’s gotta give, I am never going to have control of every facet of life, and I need to give myself a break. Afterall, when I go down with the flu or I am away, my husband says the ‘glue’ of the house is gone, everything comes unstuck and just doesn’t seem to function without me – so I figure must be doing something right.
March 8th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Luckily I am not a perfectionist but I also constantly feel the pressure from not achieving in every aspect of life. I am coming to realise that there just isn’t enough time to do everything that I want to do, not to mention things that I don’t want to do like house cleaning. I only need three more hours in every day as long as those hours correspond with three extra hours of energy. Surely that isn’t too much to ask.
March 9th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Feeling your pain. I have two kids whom I refer to as the great “un-helpers” due to their skills of creating disasters as I tidy up the last one leaving me little time for even the most ordinary of tasks like laundry. I get my fruit and veggies delivered which is actually cheaper than to buy them from the shops (fresh express) and also milk and bread and meat(aussie farmers direct). Shopping is my bane and I am usually in tears by the end so I am happy to avoid it at all costs. I am also nearing 9 mos is preggie-ness and nesting is kicking in…sadly my un-helpers are still at hand, plying their trade.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Will definitely be looking into the delivered groceries. I used to get them delivered just from the huge commercial shopping centres but wasn’t happy with the quality. I will have to give these suppliers a go!
As for keeping house – I will keep plodding along and hope that those few extra hours of energy magically appear.
Milla I have found can be easily manipulated into thinking packing up is a game – will be milking that til she catches on
I will also be making the most of sunny days to at least get the washing dry quickly. We will be even busier with newborns in Winter in that department!