I was just catching up on my blog reading, when I realized that I had been chosen as one of someone's 5 favorite blogs to read! (http://ephraimvann.blogspot.com/2009/02/thank-you-thank-you-thank-you.html)
Yay, and THANK YOU, Stacey; I love YOUR blog and am always excited when you post! Now, I guess I'm supposed to choose my fave 5 blogs, but that will have to wait for a time when my eyes can stay open.......
Why, yes, I AM crazy. Thank you for asking!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Only because I feel like it.....
I'm sure this is probably true of most people, but it just hit me the other day: I can be really good at things if I decide to be good at them. Could explain a large portion of my high school years.
Not exactly an epiphany, I know, but it struck me in the middle of cleaning the bathroom.
There I was scrubbing the yucky crevice where the toilet meets the floor and I was grumbling at how the cleaning service (don't judge me!) who comes every other week seems to always miss this spot.
"I mean, how hard is it to take 2 extra minutes and just scrub this? It makes all the difference and they just won't do it! Look at me! It's taken me all of 45 seconds to scrub it out and it looks brand new! Why WON'T they do that?" Grrr......
Then, it hit me: I'm good at it because I have a vested interest in keeping my house clean. I do a good job at cleaning because I want to do a good job.
So, of course, I continued onto the rest of the bathroom and while my hands worked my mind carried on with this train of thought....
When my husband and I got married at a comparatively young age (almost 21 and 20! gasp!), and then proceeded to have children right away, I am sure people wondered if we could hack it as a couple and as parents.
I didn't.
Not once.
Marrying my husband and having kids was exactly what I wanted. I couldn't wait to be good at it. I was the person in pre-Cana class and, then, in childbirth class who annoys everyone else with her copious note-taking and question-asking. I wasn't going to leave any stone unturned. I was going to try my hardest at being the best wife and mother possible.
It's the same when I try a new recipe or make a new friend. I really want to make that beef stew perfectly. I absolutely have to make my new friend comfortable and happy in my presence.
But, present me with a challenge that doesn't interest me and I'm a completely different person (hence, 5th grade math class issues!). For example, I wanted to take up knitting as a hobby. It's not that I don't understand the mechanics involved, or that I'm afraid I won't be able to produce a recognizable item. It was simply this: when I thought about it, it seemed pointless. I barely have enough time in my day to complete household tasks, care for kids, volunteer at school, and have a 5 minute conversation with my husband. When am I going to find time to knit a blanket, and why? Target has lots of blankets on Clearance all the time!
I think the answer to my own "issues" with my "thwarted perfectionism" is to really try to be good at all the things that come my way. Even the things that are boring, or truly repulsive (i.e. folding and putting away laundry).
So, how do I factor in this blog? Easy! This is my S.O.S., my one cry for help! This blog allows me to say, "Hey! Here I am! I'm not completely crazy, just really distracted! I share a lot of the same feelings everyone else has! Hear me out before you judge me!"
OK, now I'm off to attack that basket of clean laundry that I have been trying to ignore for 2 days......
Not exactly an epiphany, I know, but it struck me in the middle of cleaning the bathroom.
There I was scrubbing the yucky crevice where the toilet meets the floor and I was grumbling at how the cleaning service (don't judge me!) who comes every other week seems to always miss this spot.
"I mean, how hard is it to take 2 extra minutes and just scrub this? It makes all the difference and they just won't do it! Look at me! It's taken me all of 45 seconds to scrub it out and it looks brand new! Why WON'T they do that?" Grrr......
Then, it hit me: I'm good at it because I have a vested interest in keeping my house clean. I do a good job at cleaning because I want to do a good job.
So, of course, I continued onto the rest of the bathroom and while my hands worked my mind carried on with this train of thought....
When my husband and I got married at a comparatively young age (almost 21 and 20! gasp!), and then proceeded to have children right away, I am sure people wondered if we could hack it as a couple and as parents.
I didn't.
Not once.
Marrying my husband and having kids was exactly what I wanted. I couldn't wait to be good at it. I was the person in pre-Cana class and, then, in childbirth class who annoys everyone else with her copious note-taking and question-asking. I wasn't going to leave any stone unturned. I was going to try my hardest at being the best wife and mother possible.
It's the same when I try a new recipe or make a new friend. I really want to make that beef stew perfectly. I absolutely have to make my new friend comfortable and happy in my presence.
But, present me with a challenge that doesn't interest me and I'm a completely different person (hence, 5th grade math class issues!). For example, I wanted to take up knitting as a hobby. It's not that I don't understand the mechanics involved, or that I'm afraid I won't be able to produce a recognizable item. It was simply this: when I thought about it, it seemed pointless. I barely have enough time in my day to complete household tasks, care for kids, volunteer at school, and have a 5 minute conversation with my husband. When am I going to find time to knit a blanket, and why? Target has lots of blankets on Clearance all the time!
I think the answer to my own "issues" with my "thwarted perfectionism" is to really try to be good at all the things that come my way. Even the things that are boring, or truly repulsive (i.e. folding and putting away laundry).
So, how do I factor in this blog? Easy! This is my S.O.S., my one cry for help! This blog allows me to say, "Hey! Here I am! I'm not completely crazy, just really distracted! I share a lot of the same feelings everyone else has! Hear me out before you judge me!"
OK, now I'm off to attack that basket of clean laundry that I have been trying to ignore for 2 days......
Monday, February 9, 2009
Another quick update.....
Five weeks into my latest Weight Watchers Adventure, I have lost 9 1/2 pounds and have ceased to feel too crabby about the calorie reduction. I'm at that point in the program where I can actually discern *real* hunger from *stress* hunger, and I also feel fuller sooner. All good things, so I feel encouraged to keep trucking along!
More later.........
More later.........
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Oh, yes, I AM a list-maker!
If you don't believe me, just ask my family.
Shopping lists, to-do lists, invitation lists, what-to-pack lists, you-name-it! If there is any possible way to make a list for something, I will make one (sometimes, TWO lists!). One time, I even made a list of lists I should make (I am not joking at all).
Lately, my "addiction" --- I'll call it "Facebook" --- is all about making lists. Lists of 25 things about yourself, lists of iPod songs, etc. For a couple days, my two favorite things to do were combined into one, attention-absorbing thing! Needless to say, I was a little distracted during that time.
However, it got me to thinking: I cannot be the only person in the world who likes to make lists. Hardly a revelation, but it was not something I had ever thought about before. I know my husband finds it highly amusing, slightly endearing, and a bit annoying that I make lists (especially when I make lists for him!). I know my kids roll their eyes behind their backs when they walk into our kitchen and see a new chore list on the Infamous Dry-Erase Board. And, I definitely am aware of how annoying it is for the cashiers at the grocery stores to wait for me to sift through my purse-ful of old lists looking for my wallet.
You can call it a way of trying to stay in control.
You can say it's because I'm a firstborn (we're very Type A people).
You can even say it's a warped way of "getting back" at people who find list-making aggravating.
But, I can't seem to stop. I like it.
I think making lists gives me some clarity and perspective on certain issues; hence, my many Pro-Con Lists. If I can't make a decision on what color to paint the living room, I'll whittle my choices down to two or three colors, then make Pro-Con Lists for each color. The one with the most Pros is the winner!
I also find that list-making keeps me somewhat organized. When we are planning a weekend trip for the family, the first thing I do is whip out my notepad and make lists for each child, so that he/she will know what to pack. If we are staying anywhere besides our lake house, I also pack the lists so that we can make sure we bring home all our clothes.
List-making helps me to plan things like parties or small home-improvement projects. For parties, I begin by making a list of people to invite, which serves two other purposes: letting me know how many invitations to purchase and an RSVP list. I also make lists of foods I will be serving, decorations needed, and pick-up/delivery times for purchased and catered foods. If gifts are given, then I make a list of which person gave what gift so that I can send out Thank You notes.
Making lists may seem a little Obsessive-Compulsive to some people (mostly the people I live with!), but it makes me feel like I can see the "bigger picture" and stay on top of some of the details that would, otherwise, be overlooked.
So, now, I am interested in knowing what "quirks" all of you rely on to keep you feeling "in order"!
Hmmmmm.... Maybe I should make a list of them?
Shopping lists, to-do lists, invitation lists, what-to-pack lists, you-name-it! If there is any possible way to make a list for something, I will make one (sometimes, TWO lists!). One time, I even made a list of lists I should make (I am not joking at all).
Lately, my "addiction" --- I'll call it "Facebook" --- is all about making lists. Lists of 25 things about yourself, lists of iPod songs, etc. For a couple days, my two favorite things to do were combined into one, attention-absorbing thing! Needless to say, I was a little distracted during that time.
However, it got me to thinking: I cannot be the only person in the world who likes to make lists. Hardly a revelation, but it was not something I had ever thought about before. I know my husband finds it highly amusing, slightly endearing, and a bit annoying that I make lists (especially when I make lists for him!). I know my kids roll their eyes behind their backs when they walk into our kitchen and see a new chore list on the Infamous Dry-Erase Board. And, I definitely am aware of how annoying it is for the cashiers at the grocery stores to wait for me to sift through my purse-ful of old lists looking for my wallet.
You can call it a way of trying to stay in control.
You can say it's because I'm a firstborn (we're very Type A people).
You can even say it's a warped way of "getting back" at people who find list-making aggravating.
But, I can't seem to stop. I like it.
I think making lists gives me some clarity and perspective on certain issues; hence, my many Pro-Con Lists. If I can't make a decision on what color to paint the living room, I'll whittle my choices down to two or three colors, then make Pro-Con Lists for each color. The one with the most Pros is the winner!
I also find that list-making keeps me somewhat organized. When we are planning a weekend trip for the family, the first thing I do is whip out my notepad and make lists for each child, so that he/she will know what to pack. If we are staying anywhere besides our lake house, I also pack the lists so that we can make sure we bring home all our clothes.
List-making helps me to plan things like parties or small home-improvement projects. For parties, I begin by making a list of people to invite, which serves two other purposes: letting me know how many invitations to purchase and an RSVP list. I also make lists of foods I will be serving, decorations needed, and pick-up/delivery times for purchased and catered foods. If gifts are given, then I make a list of which person gave what gift so that I can send out Thank You notes.
Making lists may seem a little Obsessive-Compulsive to some people (mostly the people I live with!), but it makes me feel like I can see the "bigger picture" and stay on top of some of the details that would, otherwise, be overlooked.
So, now, I am interested in knowing what "quirks" all of you rely on to keep you feeling "in order"!
Hmmmmm.... Maybe I should make a list of them?