mess everywhere.
un-ending mess.
it happens so quickly.
and it takes twice as long to clean up as it does to get out in the first place.
but that is life as a mom…isn't it?
we are all in the same boat.
Category Archives: failsok…i know that if i do it…then many many of you do it too.
is it too much to expect them not to wipe the paint off the window art? i know i am full of complaints. not because i want gifts…i can buy myself what i want when i want. even it's just for five minutes. i am not unhappy. I love this! (Just found you via Marta Writes) I really like the idea of teaching our children how to take care of a mom on Mother’s Day rather than expecting them just to know. It seems so obvious now that you’ve said it! Is it warped that I’m reading this and feelin’ it… but at Christmas?! Great post and great comments. Thanks. I feel better after a rough week doing n doing for what feels like the whole world and knowing I’m supposed to stuff my own stocking and buy myself something special. Don’t get me wrong, my kids are awesome n hubby tries… I could never vent on my own blog so thanks for allowing me to highjack this! Feel free to delete. It was just good therapy to get it out! I totally agree with you. You do need to teach your chidren to be thoughtful. This was the first year that I insisted that my husband make Mother’s Day special. I wanted the kids to make me cards and yes the cheesy breakfast in bed. It was nice that they recognized me. You’re right we have to teach them these things. Great post:) If you have not watched this video..you must..it is so funny! I just want to share one thing we do with our kids. Chez nou la fête des mères n’ est pas encore arrivée … I read your blog often and totally enjoy it. This Mother’s day was my first. We spent it at my in-laws and celebrating my husband’s grandparent’s 60th wedding anniversary. We got flowers and a card for my mother-in-law. Half way through the day my husband folded up a piece of computer paper and “made” me a card. Oh well. I have been telling myself to not expect much in the way of gifts or surprises. I just find it hard to not get a little excited and anticipate that my family will treat me extra special one day out of the year. At the end of the day I know that I am well loved, so I suppose that makes up for it. oh my! this is a lot of comments! i read this post earlier but still have been thinking about it b/c i’m the same as you, no expectations and then you’re not let down. but since i’m a planner, i’m already thinking of what to do for father’s day. yet i’m unmotivated since “my” day didn’t amount to much. any ideas? what are you going to do? can you do a post on what others are doing so i can get ideas and do something without having to put much thought into it :)then if it’s anti-climatic it won’t be like IIIII was the one up all night brainstorming… i feel like i can soooooo relate. i’m 30 and this july i’ll be 31. after my 27th bday party it was hard not to expect another awesome bash but i moved from nashville to florida and now i’m down to 2 real friends. they’re a married couple with kids… I had some of the same feeling on Mother’s Day. Thank you for your honesty. I love that you kept your post about Mother’s Day so real. I spent my day with two stepchildren who totally ignored me. While I understand I am not their birth mother, I do cook, clean, shuttle them to/fro and attend all their events. love this! was tempted to write on my FB status line on mother’s day “everyone, keep your expectations low” 😉 my hubby began cooking the bacon for my “breakfast in bed”, then fell asleep on the couch while it was cooking… guess who finished it aND cleaned it up!! You are so honest and straightforward, and you say these things with grace. Thank you. Thank you for posting this. Yes, I do love you for your honesty – and your humor and creativity, too. i think we would be friends in real life. those were my thoughts too. is it too much to ask for the kids to behave? for one day??? then, like you said, the finger is pointed at me. i’m the one that didn’t teach them to care for others. i’m the one that assumed that by caring for them they would, in turn, learn to care for others automatically. sadly that isn’t the case and i have three kids that call each other idiot and fatty and have had me contemplating more than once getting a fifteen passenger van just so they didn’t have to be near each other in the car. ain’t life grand? Thank you so much for this post! I even read it to my hubby, who said, “See, we’re not the only ones!”. :o) I enjoy your REAL posts like these. I just sent my girlfriend a text telling her to read this blog post! You are dead-on sister! We were wondering if we were the only ones suffering with Mothers Day Pains! “i am disappointed that by now….i haven’t taught them these things. Okay, I’ll just say how sorry I am for you..what a stinker..here’s to better ones in the future. I count my lucky stars…my hubby is great and my kids were only a *little* whiny and annoying but for the most part, it was a great day! This is why I love your blog so much. You are so honest and say things that we can ALL relate to:-) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This really hits home for me. At least your kids are little and they probably really didn’t know it was Mother’s Day. Mine is 21 and he barely acknowledged it. In fact, this was what I got: a text from him about something else, and tacked onto the end of it was “btw happy mothers day”. Gee, thanks. This was somewhat better than the year he totally forgot my birthday…until I told him the next day. Ugh. If I don’t do it, it doesn’t get done. Obviously you struck a chord!! Your home is so normal…I know exactly what you mean about what gets taught (or doesn’t). I just realized the other day that we never sent out the thank you notes for my son’s birthday presents. His birthday is in January. Nor did we do Christmas, and we get very nice gifts. Sigh. It is so easy to feel like a failure. I guess if we didn’t have hope (especially in the Lord, and the comfort of being covered by his righteousness) then we would be goners. I had that Mother’s Day about 6 years ago – but it was mostly my husband’s thoughtlessness. I was heart broken. I waited a week to “cool” then had a “talk” with my husband. I explained that maybe his father didn’t do these things and I wasn’t clear in my expectations – but here is how it works. I expect a gift. Nothing extravagant – but a gift. I explained why mother’s day would be important to me – you know, being a mom and all. And then I explained this also applies to birthdays and anniversaries. (I totally gave a pass for Valentines Day – not important to me) I have never brought it up again and he has been on it ever since. Make sure your family know how you feel. Sometimes these things have to taught – even though we think they should just be known. (case in point – my husband!) now* following. 🙂 oh and just saw that you have charity water on your sidebar! I love you already. 🙂 I’m not following. ok this is random coming from a stranger but I have to say you have ADORABLE hair! just had to say it. lovely blog. 🙂 you ARE funny! I strongly disagree with you!! I have been reading your blog long enough to know that you ARE modeling “love for one another and making people feel special!” You do so many sweet things for your kids and others. . . so do not blame yourself. I think even though your kids aren’t getting it now, you are teaching them and one day it will click. I’m not a Mom yet, but I love your blog and I loved this post! SO relieved that you didn’t call any of the kids out by name … Some day, they’ll figure it out and the GUILT for this (and other things) will kick in. Sigh. I grew up with an older brother and sister who both were in high school when I was born. They never EVER called me names. I always had so much fun with them when I was growing up. Even now at 40, they are a large part of my life. Our parents have been in a nursing home for several years. My siblings have stepped in and in addition to aunt and uncle, they are also “grandparents” to my three boys. I love them so much. But I digress… My argument is that the DAD is supposed to teach them how to treat the MOM on Mother’s day. I teach them how to treat dad on Father’s day, how to treat each other on birthdays, etc. etc. so Mother’s day is his job. You’re so right though, that when it upsets me the most, it’s usually something that they should have learned from me and I didn’t do a good job of teaching/communicating. Sigh. We do our best though, and although we should always aim high, sometimes our best is enough. Hi Meg- My Mother’s Day was spent on a plane with Ellie (my youngest) heading to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for her 3 month check-up to ensure she remains cancer free. My 13 year old daughter was back at home with her grandparents and my husband was driving the 14 hour trip from Richmond to Memphis so he could be with us while Ellie received her MRI and we awaited the news of whether cancer returned to her brain or if she was still on the path to being cured… (got the news tonight – God continues to heal her…CANCER FREE!!) It wasn’t how I would have liked to spend that day but I couldn’t imagine not being there with Ellie on this journey. So much has changed in our life over the last 2 years and we are just so thankful for all the good. I don’t why I am telling you this much but I know you are thankful for all of it too. You are an amazing mom and I love that you keep it real and tell it like it is. We all live that life – nothing is perfect – it doesn’t exist but only for moments at a time…love each day, try your best, thank God for it all and pray you get to do it all again tomorrow. Um, let’s talk about your top/dress/whatever {Ca-ute!}, and your gorgeous hair . . . oh wait, that’s not what this post was about. Sorry. Meg, thanks for being so honest. It’s so refreshing. It is one of those days that we want to be special, but since we are the only ones in the family that are mothers, well, no one else really gets it. Thanks for your sweet comment on one of my recent Derby posts! Happy belated Mother’s Day!! well…some of it I think is an age/maturity thing and some of it is a personality thing. and then some of it is what you teach them and what they see. i’m saying this coming off a mother’s day spent with my mom and two teenage sisters (i’m 25 – they are 18 and 16 – yowzers). we do really all love each other. sometimes it’s just harder to tell than others… the older we all get, the better i think (hope?) we all behave. although my mom might argue with that! 🙂 Thank You!!!!!!!!! I think my day was an exact replica of yours 🙂 Girl, I’m with you. While visiting my parents…my mother was sick and staying in bed all weekend. So we skipped church to go to in-laws….she wasn’t really expecting us…went to lunch at mc donalds, because hadn’t planned on eating out and everywhere was packed and our kids were starving. Cranky all day. 🙁 I will do better next year and try to make stuff more special. Thank YOU for being real. Yes, that’s why we like you. My Mother’s Day: mothers day doesn’t work. meg- i love this- because i get it- i get it daily! that “what is there problem?- why can’t they get it together!”- oh right- they learned that from me– opps Thats funny, I felt the same way. We traveled 2 hrs one way to meet my husbands mother for lunch. My almost 4 yr old decides that he has to pee every 10 min and scope out the place. CRAZY!!! On the way home and absolutely no entertainment for 3 kids that have had Dr. Pepper for lunch I decide to have a Mommy nap. I do deserve this right? NOT! Didn’t happen. I was ill. Got home and new we were having company and the house was wreck. Excuse me if you heard me all the way from GA. Then I cooked my own supper. Taco Night. Shredded cheese, cut lettuce, browned ground beef, heated taco shells, cut tomato’s up, and put all of this in the lazy susan for everyone to to devour before I even got to the table with their drinks. I so wanted to scream. So after supper I told Mother very loudly to stop cleaning, that we had already cooked our mothers day meal and we AIN’T cleaning. I don’t care if it is a word or not. And yes, he got the hint. I ended up getting a chocolate waffle cone from Bruster’s too. How sweet! Whatever??? Ok, now I am done. I couldn’t let you feel like the lone ranger of witchen. Just keppin it real. I had a crappy day, too. for about the same reasons. Stupid holiday 😉 Sorry for your bad day – your hair looked really cute! is this the meg that put together gifts for her kids for each of the days she was away in Africa…or the one who did a week of fun Christmas crafts?? Ummmm…I think you DO show you kids how to make people feel special. Wow you have a lot of long comments! I’m not a mum but I have been with my mum on mothers day when things are very similar. I think all kids are the same! We mothers are so darn hard on ourselves! Thanks for saying what every Mom is probably thinking to herself…expectations too high? Amen Sister, you’re preaching to the choir. We were supposed to go to Olive Garden for M Day, but when we got there it was too early to hang out for 15 minutes and go have lunch. Soooo, we went to Best Buy (guy store) and by the time we got back to Olive Garden the wait was 1 hour. I knew it would be busy, it’s always busy plus it was M Day. Rather than listen to the wait grumble we went to Red Lobster where we could be seated immediately. I know, still yummy food, but not Olive Garden. Red Lobster = Father’s Day. So sorry your Mother’s Day didn’t turn out so well. I just shamelessly reminded my little ones (and my husband!) all day long that it was Mother’s Day. Hope your next one is tons better! Laughing with you…not at you! Ugh, the ice cream truck is here right outside my driveway. At dinner time…good times. Have a great day after Mother’s day :)! ~Heather R. Meg, I can feel your disappointment, but selfish little beings that they are, kids are kids. Eventually they’ll get it right! You just have to remind them for a week or two that Mother’s Day is coming up. Ha! Right there with you 🙂 My kids were the worst behaved at Church they have ever been and my husband’s attempts at quieting them down only made them louder. Friends sitting a few pews away kept looking over, obviously wanting to help, but being afraid their efforts would only add to the din my children were making already. It was mortifying 🙁 I watched the kids while the hubby mowed the lawn, then went out for some alone time which was interrupted 30mins later by hubby asking me to bring home something for dinner. At least we had cake and ice cream for dessert 🙂 Meg, I just love Annie’s bangs – she’s stinkin’ cute! (that is Annie right?) I loved this post. I was just thinkin’ of you and Ashley Ann. I just heard about all of the nasty weather in KS and OK. Hope you are okay. Take care! You are way too hard on yourself. Your kids are still kids. You are still ‘mom.’ I would be suspicious if they were too well-behaved. So far, it looks like your kids are genuine and sincere, healthy and energetic, and connected to their family with strong relationships. I love the pictures. They say so much more about who your kids see than a perfect pose might offer. Looks very ‘loved’ to me. I seriously don’t get how they didn’t know it was mother’s day! Didn’t they make something at school? I am a teacher, so I am flabbergasted as to how they acted like they had no idea?? I’m starting young! they’re 2 and 4 and I told them all day that it was mothers day and what happens on mothers day – no fighting, no whining, no crying and lots of I love you and hugs for mum who is queen for just one day …. i repeated this over and over and over and I think by the time they are ten they will now it by heart and i would hopefully have created a wonderful mothers day for the future! ohhhhh i feel so much better…. i reall y think they should do away with these holidays. they are only a set up for a let down… “Her children arise up and call her blessed”, Proverbs 31:28. Your children are still in the growing process but one day (I promise this is true) they will recall all the special days that you were their mother. I totally get this. My Mother’s Day was really great but I get this in an everyday sense. People think I’m crazy to take my kids to the grocery store in the middle of the week when I could go myself if I waited two more days. But if I don’t do it, how will they ever learn how to behave in the store? That’s my job as their mom right? It’s hard sometimes but it’s good to do hard things. The outcome is always better than going the easy way. 🙂 Thanks for keeping it real! Hi Meg, OH man! I feel so bad for yoU! seriously, my day started off good, but then the girls got crabby and they “almost” ruined my day by being sassy, but then I had them re-check the attitude (which we left home) and we went out to the forest preserves for a nice walk and out to lunch at Panera. So I know what you are talking about, seriously! oh how I love seeing posts like this! Not because I want you to feel unloved on Mother’s Day but because all of us moms have felt that way. You know, except for those perfect moms who blog and have a perfect husband and perfect kids and a perfect life and they poop out flowers & butterflies. Oops, did I say that out loud?? I think this year was the first year when I really feel like my kids made me feel like I was important. Oh sure, they still argued and whined. But their presents this year were very special & heartfelt. And my husband, after being a parent for 8 1/2 years, just may be starting to “get it”. You didn’t ruin my buzz. In fact, you made my day. I cried several times yesterday, mainly because I felt guilty about how sad I was that no one in my family did anything to make it feel like a special day. I’m not looking for anything extreme or expensive, but like you said, how about less screaming or punching, or fewer dishes in the sink. Thank you for being real in your post. LOVED the post. So very true for so many of us. I tried to lower my expectations as well. It helped but still the lack of thought is beyond ridiculous. hey at least you got to go to lunch. I got up early with the kids while my hubby slept in and of course my kids forgot. So when my hubs finally made it downstairs he wished me a happy mothers day the kids “oh happy …. mom”. Real special!!! Thank you so very much for making me not feel alone in my feelings. I hate that my 16 year old can’t manage to say happy birthday or happy mother’s day to anyone in our immediate family. She apparently thinks it isn’t important unless it it’s for her. Ticks me off and I’m pretty sure she didn’t learn that from me because I have done everything to teach her the opposite, but somehow it doesn’t matter. I think it will get better when the kids are old enough to realize what a good thing they got! I don’t have kids yet but I do know now what an awesome and amazing mother I have. We took her out to brunch. While we were waiting, a toddler started throwing a tantrum and the mom was fussing over her while the dad stood by. My mom was GLARING at the dad. “It is mother’s day! That dad should be the one taking care of that! Let the woman enjoy herself!” she kept whispering to me. I’ve also learned the importance of nicely wrapped gifts (however small, the wrapping is important!) and a card that actually SAYS something. I’m 25 and happy now to spoil my mom a little bit! But I still think when I have kids I’m going to take Mother’s Day as a girl’s day, hang out with my girlfriends and leave Dad at home to watch the kids. You are not alone! Love you for keeping it real and for saying what most of us are thinking & feeling. My request for the day was breakfast at my favorite diner, my car washed by my 2 guys & a late lunch at the park with my extended family (mom, sis, their families, etc.), easy clean-up. I got breakfast which was very nice, although the rest of the day was hectic & all the “mom’s” ended up preparing all of the food & no picnic, I ended up hosting at home, as usual. 🙂 SO GET IT!!!!!!!!!! I was going to post a very similar post, but decided to stay pretty neutral since my hubby reads my blog……..don’t want to seem ungrateful. But yes….have no expectations and no disappointment? NO…have no expectations and still be disappointed. such is life. I like that you said we must “teach them” to treat people special. I make a huge deal out of all occassions/holidays……..you think the kids/hubby would get it…… 🙂 You are hilarious and funny…..and real. I get accused of that too………I have never commented on your blog, but do read it often…… I love this post. I love how real you are. It made me think of what I’m teaching to my children…I think it’s time to do some loving on others and sacrificial gift giving. You are an amazing woman, thank you for sharing your not-so-ideal Mother’s day with us! Loved the first picture. Who took them for you? Great post. Made me smile. Then it made me hungry. Who knew that there are so many of us!!!! Hmmmm…where you a fly on our wall yesterday?!? The boys remembered and made me some pretty nice things, but 2 seconds after I hopped in the shower WW3 broke out…really all I want is a nice shower…is being able to shave Both of my legs too much to ask for? Wow. I could have written this myself. Only not as well and with much more whining. So glad someone wrote about a less than perfect day, makes me feel a little more normal. Apparently I’m not the only one who has some training to do with the children. Thanks for posting a real post. I thought I was the only one who had a day like this. Hubby tried so hard to make the day special for me, but I guess kids have different ideas. They really think life is all about them. I guess I have more training to do. You stole the post right out off my finger tips – still got to get my kids to bed!!!! but man… Amen and Amen…. should I say it again… Amen!!! I love that you are real, too. 🙂 Sorry that Mother’s Day was rough…I have been there, I think we all have! (Birthdays are normally the worst for me, I always have really high expectations.) For what it’s worth: 1) from what I’ve seen on the blog I think you do a great job teaching your children and 2) you looked super cute yesterday. 🙂 WOW! This sounds EXACTLY like my Mother’s Day! At one point, when my husband was telling our entirely too cranky almost five year old that “today is mommy’s special day”, her response was “Well, when is MY special day?” I looked at her and lost it: EVERY DAY! EVERY DAY IS YOUR SPECIAL DAY! BECAUSE EVERYTHING I DO IS FOR YOU AND YOUR BROTHER. AND WOULD IT KILL YOU TO BE NICE JUST. THIS. ONCE? No buzz kill here! Just sentiments exactly as I would write them, if I would take the time, which I won’t because I don’t want to give yesterday any more thought. First, happy belated mother’s day! you didn’t kill my buzz…mother’s day is over rated in my books. my girls were driving me nuts and acting crazy! just for one day i would like a little peace and quite, but that is okay. thank you for putting down what i wanted to but didn’t have the guts to. I’m sorry your Mother’s Day wasn’t all you hoped for either. I have to say that I was very disappointed in how mine turned out. My husband got up at 8am for all of five minutes to ‘feed’ our children breakfast. He gave them rice krispy treats. He went back to bed and I got up to get them a more suitable start to their morning. Then I got upset because some hair clips I made were falling apart. I asked for help in finding the tool bag to get the super glue. When I told him what it was for, he told me it wasn’t a big deal. And it wasn’t in the long run…but for those 10mins it was a big deal to me and I did not appreciate it. The girls and I left for church without Dad (who started to complain of a headache). 30mins into church, he showed up. Things went better. Came home, made waffles and home-made whipped cream with the girls. He didn’t help out a whole lot…just waited until it was time to eat. He stressed out over the girls playing in the backyard and I had to remind him several times that them getting dirty was really not a big deal. Finally it was time for bed. I had to ask him to turn off the TV for our last 30mins up together. Bedtime with the girls was fun. Stories and songs and giggles. Daddy was asleep on the floor for all of it. Then we came downstairs and he started to complain about his life and someone at church and then we talked about how it might be a good idea for him to move out. HELLO!! you went to sugar sisters!! that right there should cancel out everything negative! 🙂 I so feel your hurt and disappointment. The sad thing is that I did bring up my girls to feel compassion and thoughtfulness, and they are that way, just not to me! I try not to get my hopes up, but every year the same thing happens. Thanks for putting my feelings into words. Yesterday was my 7th Mother’s Day. Yesterday was the first Mother’s day that I wasn’t disappointed. My husband brought a new tree in for me on Saturday. (That was good – even though I don’t nomally like early gifts….I guess hiding a tree was hard). We had a nice family drive on Saturday – totally unexpected. And then…..what I planned for Sunday – I invited a family over for a BBQ. A family that could use a little extra love. I’ve found I just do better when I serve others. It’s my gifting, and it really helps me to have no expectations for myself. Here’s to next year!! 🙂 I just had a long conversation with a friend about expectations. She never has any for herself because she doesn’t want to be disappointed. I on the other hand expect to be blessed. Proverbs 23:7 says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. So believing good things are gonna happen is key… I think. Also little hints and reminders along the way helps;) So sorry your day was less than. If it’s any consolation you looked adorable at lunch. Still rockin’ that new ‘do. Thanks for keeping it real. I really didn’t appreciate my parents UNTIL I went to collegE DO YOU NOTICE HOW I’m writing in all caps off and on. That’s my son…Anyways, you are a wonderful mother. I mean, that’s why so many of us follow you. I think I’ve decided mother’s day is going to be my day to retreat into the mountains and not return until everyone is asleep. I think we all get discouraged when we give our heart away but Jesus wouldn’t have it any other way. Love you girl! Meg – don’t be so hard on yourself. Kids are selfish by nature. They do learn by example but from what I’ve seem on your blog …. they know all about how to be generous, kind, and willing to help others. They are just being kids, it’s their job … drive you crazy. Be glad you are pretty much past the puked on stage. I was puked on 6 times yesterday. I still smell vomit … I think the scent is stuck in my nostrils. Good times. Meg, I struggle with excpectations, too. My daddy always did really special things in really special ways and I often feel sorry for my husband and children because they have to follow in his footsteps. I have taken to giving some general ideas of special things I enjoy. My sweet husband really likes to do special things for me but I think sometimes he gets overwhelmed by all of the options. He prefers that I just outright tell him some things that I want. Hi Meg, That is upsetting. Somehow my kids have it right, and I’m not sure how; they made me 14 cards between the 2 of them, a banner, chalked the sidewalk…all little things that meant a lot to me. My husband got me a gift too, but really, that wasn’t what meant the most. So I’m not sure why my kids are this way. We’ve always made a big deal out of birthdays for all in the family, not so much $ (well, usually, not always)…not sure why mine get it. EXCEPT that my father made a HUGE deal out of my Mom’s bday and Mother’s Day. He always let us make a cake (from a mix, but still)-one year we made the cake aqua and the icing lavender. Lovely. 🙂 But it was fun, and I’d like to think I had something to do with my girls being this way, but really I’m not sure. I would tell them that it’s the one day for you to feel special and that they kind of hurt your feelings. I don’t think that’s wrong! 🙁 This was my mother’s day too. I also feel guilty complaining but really…I melted down and ended with a little gift at the end of the day! Here’s to hoping next year is better! I just got off the phone with my hubby, crying how I feel about Mother’s Day….and that I am the reason it turned out that way. And I feel all alone, and I’m so sorry that your post makes me feel better because I wish we were up today with warmth in our hearts about how perfectly yesterday went and what a fantastic job we’ve done raising our kids. I COMPLETELY understand! My first mother’s day I was expecting a parade I think. Now I know it’s just another day (not really, but kinda), and if you get a card or flowers or chocolate it becomes an even better day. If your kids see you go all out for your mama though, they may start to understand what it’s all about. =) Oh Meg… I so feel ya. Love this post. So real & honest. I understand this so much – while yesterday was actually the best mothers day ever for me, and I really REALLY was trying to have absolutely no expectations – I know exactly where you are coming from with your post. You are not alone (unfortunately) I am in tears. Finally, someone writes what I have been dying to say. my mother in law gave me that advice of “never expect anything” years ago. i hated it then and i hate it now. Happy (belated) mother’s day. As a reader of your blog, I think I semi-qualify to say you are an amazing mum. The fact that kids are kids, will make them not think about certain things at times. You are sooo right! Yesterday morning I cried for a full hr because I expected someone, anyone to remember it was Mother’s Day (I am also 8 months pregnant so the hormones are all crazy). And it didn’t get any better from there…definitely not a stellar Mother’s Day BUT you are sooo right. How can I expect something that they don’t understand or are taught. Next year I will straight up tell the family what I expect (and it isn’t cards and gifts…more like thankful attitudes). I too do not have expectations for “Special Days”, though yesterday I did feel a little sorry for myself… Only because, on Thursday of this past week my husband make a big production after some jewelry commercial aired on TV… I said that for Mother’s day I didn’t think husbands should go crazy on gifts since I’m not “His” mother. He responded that Mother’s day is a for him to celebrate me as his wife and mother of his children. Good post! I told my mom I was going to enjoy mother’s day yesterday while my kids still adore me… I acutely remember a brother home from college for Mother’s Day, trying not to take drugs for the day (soon to be checked into rehab) and screaming (obscenities) at my mom from the top of the stairs on the way to church. Even the best moms, and my mom IS THE BEST, have their hard days! same thing over here! kids were awful in the car, wined all day, were angry when we left, got so messy they needed a bath (ugh), fought with one another…. basically drove me batty! cheers to us…. the mommies! better luck next year? it is oh too easy to get sucked in to the ol’ expectations. I HATE that. But it is so hard on days like yesterday. and they almost always fail when you can’t let go of those expectations. Ugh! It’s hard being a mom! I like keeping it real…but let me say that at least around here and with a few of my friends, “it gets better the older they get”…many were waiting into the 20 somethings of their kids….my Mother’s Day gets sweeter and sweeter each year….our girls are 20 and 24. The husband/children training is often years of plugging away and suddenly you start seeing the fruit. And some personalities just flow with this better. Treat yourself this week! Love yourself… Yep…I feel ya! My 5 year old was in timeout A LOT of the morning, my 2 year old was a little monkey and my baby was sick and fussy. It felt like more work because my husband wouldn’t let me do anything but then he doesn’t know where certain things are, how to do this or that and so after all was said and done, I ended up having to fix all those things. UGH. yep…i could have written your post as well…i am blaming it all on my husband’s mother though…he’s the one that needs to do some learning. Aww Meg! feel for you 🙂 I have been there so many times and over the years I have learned a few things…#1 Remind them it is Mothers Day (a few days before)and hint at what you would like. #2 Your husband sets the tone.It is his job to rally the kids and make them tow the line. Now that my kids are teenagers it is a bit better…but it all boils down to giving you respect on that day, honoring you and what you do day in and day out. Compassion is a hard lesson sometimes to teach children…but you live it with your life and as they get older they will understand. Hi Meg. I enjoy your honesty so much! I must have said myself 10 times yesterday…. “just one day” can’t everyone be nice just for one day?! I guess as moms we have to be happy for the few joyous, kind, and sweet moments we do get! Thanks for giving me a good chuckle this morning, and making me feel like I’m not alone in these Mother’s Day thoughts! ohhhh gawwwwwwd, i could have written this post. and i hate complaining because it makes me feel all whiney and it’s all about me. Megan, thank you for your honesty! I think there are more moms with stories like yours than not… That’s why moms are the strongest people in the world. This Mother’s Day, all I wanted from Fiona was to come to church early with me, so I could sing in the choir because we were saying farewell to some friends who are moving away – the wife stands in the choir next to me. Well, of all things, on this ONE DAY, my daughter who usually happily comes to church, begged off, saying her throat hurt. She’s got some kind of allergy-related thing, not strep. No fever. Just tired and didn’t want to bother. It shocked me. I think of her as generally being compassionate — often typically “only child” selfish on a day-to-day basis — but certainly not on MOTHER’S DAY. I had all the same thoughts you did. Where did I go wrong? It really did upset my whole day because it was so hard to accept. Turned out OK, but, not my best Mother’s Day, that’s for sure. I’m glad you can sympathize. 🙂 I know exactly how you feel. I try every Mothers Day but it still seems like deep down I’m hoping for some super special surprise. The episode last week of The Middle pretty much said it all, lol. When my kids get in that “it’s all about me” mode, I always remind myself that it takes the frontal lobe of the brain 25 years to fully develop… It’s the only thing that keeps me semi-sane. Meg, i will always leave comment..word verification or not 😉 thanks for checking. i mean, how do you not leave a comment when you go ahead and post pics like that?! yes, that’s why i keep coming back for more. I’m so glad the day is over too. The expectations of a day like that are so high and so easily let down. I was irritated with my one kid who thought we should do special things celebrating him! Even after explaining over and over again that it was Mom’s day, he just couldn’t wrap himself around that concept! Rgh! Glad it’s over! (Don’t get me wrong — very thankful to be a mom — but I don’t want to wait until my first grandchild is born to have my son be thankful for own mother!) Oh Meg, I am sorry! Don’t feel bad for the way you feel. You are right, they should know how to act when you take them out. You have taught them that but sometimes they just don’t follow the rules. Okay. Can I just say that you have literally let the sun shine in on my post Mother’s Day funk. I was feeling blech! about my Mother’s Day. Nothing was really different than normal. I guess I’ve just been feeling a bit burnt out. Last yr my daughter went out back and picked MY roses and asked for a vase. She fixed a beautiful arrangement for her Sunday school teacher. No gift for me. No card. Nothing. I was so hurt. So, I get what you are saying. This year they were all great, so I think it is just seasons. Sending big hugs knowing exactly how you are feeling. Don’t feel bad now for speaking it out loud. But, you said it is you who teaches them… Megan, I have seen yor love when you make celebrations for them and you have done that job. Just give them time for it to stick and for it to grow in them. IT WILL! yeah. my mother’s day was less than awesome, too. First, I love that motto too. I always say LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS…and sometimes that goes all the way down to just no puking. Sometimes maybe even lower? ok….you have validated the fact that i am not CRAZY!!! lols You arent whining….just being honest…and that IS what I love about your site!!! Life isnt always what you want it to be…and holidays are no exception….I have felt the same thing at times…for Christmas my husband bought me a purple coat and said “purple is your favorite color”…um…pink is my favorite color…ya…i cried…lols… My husband let me sleep late. After that, it was a normal day. I cooked, cleaned, changed diapers, and disciplined all day long. If I don’t do those things, who will? My husband is very helpful, but it still takes two sometimes! Megan, I totally hear you. As the kids were bickering last night and my son was telling me he only wanted PB&J for dinner, I was seriously counting down the minutes until bedtime so I could get some peace and quiet. Just another day in our house too. Oh Meg – I could have written your post. It’s not whiny, just real. I have 4 (11+6 year old triplets) and there are days I feel exactly like what you just described in this post. All part of being a Mommy I guess. There is a special place in God’s heart for mothers – and He teaches us so many lessons through our children. Happy belated Mother’s Day to you!! I feel your pain…my daughter woke me up at 5:30 a.m. so I could open the card (her dad bought for her to give me). She signed it. It was cute, but noisy. Then while I was getting ready for church my husband came to me and asked me why I posted that I was sad on my facebook. I didn’t. It was 10:00 by then and the time stamp was 5 hours ago. I know who was up at 5:00 a.m. How she managed to do this I don’t know she is nine, has dyslexia and a lot of trouble reading but she is a whiz at the computer. I was getting posts and text messages from friends wanting to know what was wrong. I don’t know how you do it…I only have one child! I know how you feel..oh so well! I have a three year old that was throwing tantrums all day. I did at least 4 loads of laundry. Cleaned the house – it didn’t feel like a special day. I am even 26 weeks prego! I did take time in the afternoon to stop the chores and scrapbook. Sometimes I think we just have to not expect people to make special moments for us but create our own. You are a great Mom! I grew up with a less than ideal sibling situation (my bro had MAJOR adhd) in which I didn’t get a whole lot of attention and it created a weird family dynamic and I can guess my mom felt like you a lot of the time. Because my brother equaled about 4 kids. It will get better! Now we have fun on holidays, we rarely argue, and we all appreciate my mom (an she knows it). Kids just have to learn what it’s like to not have mom there for everything all the time.
i bought the smallest bag. robin eggs are my fav. and now they are gone and that is out of the way. see ya. I’m not sure why I decided it would be a good idea to try and go on a sugar fast the day after Easter. I am weak too…and the kids’ robin eggs and cadbury mini eggs are calling my name from behind the cupboard door in the kitchen!! I loooove Robin eggs. They’re my fave, too!! Every time one of my kids gets one, they say “it’s your favorite mommy!” That and Cadbury eggs…. Omi… I LOVE the Robin eggs. They are my favorite of all Easter candy! I get the “mini” ones so I can have one yummy bite, and they last longer. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. 🙂 It’s Easter, enjoy! Mine are the Cadbury Mini Eggs. I bought a bag for my daughter’s Easter basket, but it’s ok because the only other candy I got for her were Peeps, and I HATE those. Did you know they actually have a cookbook out for Peeps??? I did the SAME thing . . . smallest bag possible . . . malted milk eggs . . . ate the whole bag . . . before I got home!! (I do live several miles out in the country) Robin eggs are the best!!! Now I’m really craving them… I am trying to cut back on sugar but it is hard. I haven’t had a coke in about a week but it is calling me tonight and I am giving in:( Oh, how this post made me laugh! i did the same thing with peanut butter m&m’s the kids will never know they were suppose to be in there basket! ugh WEAK?!?! SERIOUSLY!?!? you went WEEKS w/o sweets! i can’t make it a day! you go girl…eat that chocolate! the Reese’s peanut butter eggs have been the death of me this year. I love those robin eggs too! They are such a weakness…let’s face it…any chocolate is a weakness for me! Enjoy your day! God bless and Happy Easter! Let’s see… I had a piece of pizza, a chocolate shake and a blueberry pancake today. So I think a little bag of candy isn’t too bad:) Walk it off girl! I can’t even tell you how many peanut butter eggs I had this week. It would gross you out! OK- I admit- I totally copied you and went and wrote some verses on my chalkboard wall in colored chalk just like you. And then I posted a close-up pic of my jellybeans and I come here and see your cute bowl of robin’s eggs….great minds think alike 🙂 Jolly Rancher jelly beans. Enough said 🙂 You’re better than me…I just bought two bags each of reeses eggs and mini eggs…I’m SO weak! those are my favorite too!! i cant buy them though….those and cadburry eggs. sigh. i am a sucker for seasonal/holiday candy – candy corn, conversation hearts, robin eggs. i know myself too well…i would have eaten that tiny bag in one sitting. you did good! ME TOO!! Robin Eggs are the bomb! (have only eaten part of a bag….so far) LOL, I’m eating peanut butter chipits as I read this – too lazy even to eat the chocolate you’re supposed to eat, I go straight for the ingredients in the pantry! You are so not alone in this. And no, my pants from last summer do not fit. I must also get out and exercise – good for you for actually doing it, not just talking about it. OMG Meg! I LOVE robin eggs too! oh they’re my fave too! i didn’t buy any this year….mainly b/c i never saw them! 😉 I can’t believe the timing of this post. Easter candy is pure evil. EVIL! My mom bought Easter candy for us when she was here THREE weeks ago but wanted us to save it till Easter for an Easter basket since we wouldn’t be together. I had to hide that bag I tell you and I am sooo looking forward to it on Sunday!! 🙂 Kelly I have the same problem… I love the cream filled Cadberry eggs. hmm…yumm… Thankfully they are TOO sweet… it takes me the whole week to finish off the pack of three. 🙂 My favorite is Dove Truffle Eggs. I went to 3 stores before I found them. *THAT* is weak. 🙁 They are my favorite, too! It’s just once a year, enjoy them. Though if you like malted milk balls, try to find Cadbury’s Maltesers one day. They’re English, and are absolutely fantastic. At least you’re excercising! I keep telling my butt I need to do something, but alas – no working out for me. Instead I bought dark chocolate truffles 🙁 I too ate the whole bag…in 24 hrs. You are stronger that I am when it comes to those little eggs….thank goodness they are gone now! Chicks & bunnies for me, only Brach’s brand (like circus peanuts). I must eat them every Easter oh & Reese’s PB eggs, chilled. I can’t help it. They have an Easter isle (as in island) at your store? How wonderful! I am the same way with candy corn at Halloween. I have to buy a bag and eat it until I feel sick, then I am done! Otherwise, I spread it out and end up eating way more. At least, that’s my justification. Happy Easter! I have a terrible problem with the Reece’s Peanut Butter Eggs!!! I adore Robin’s Eggs too! I have bought several bags. Luckly, I usually just eat 4 or 5 every few days. Mine are the Cadbury mini eggs…..just walk away. If I buy a bag, they are gone! Immediately! my favorite too! One of the reasons I always look forward to Easter…. oh my dear, I can totally relate but mine is marshmallow peeps…lol You are so NOT alone! oh I know how you feel. I am glad the big Cadbury creme eggs only come in singles (don’t tell me about the smaller pack, i know). I love, love , love those things! i am going bonkers. i sure hope so. oh and check out my giveaway because right now…only 5 people have commented and it ends tomorrow so the odds are good to win! happy to hear he is home now…..all is good for you! hey meg-! Meg, sometimes I feel like you are writing in my dairy. Hubby was gone last week and I was about to go slap crazy. Then I was all excited for him to finally get home and I ended up with a migrain. The week has started and I still cant wait to spend some time with him. Dido on Jeni’s comment. Thanks for making me feel normal. (My house looks the same way. Shhhhhh!!!!!) Oh Meg…. I feel your pain!! My husband is a fireman and gone for two days at a time. So needless to say, I’ve experienced my share of moments such as these! Hang in there, get some fresh air, and pour yourself a glass of wine 🙂 You ARE amazing! Whew! I thought I was the only one who felt that way. Another reason to believe we are all in this together. (Please forgive the High School Musical reference!) :o) THANK YOU!!! for making me feel normal!!! 🙂 I am with you….it is super hard when dad is away…. i was there last week…..house got dirty and we ate lucky charms for dinner.. that is how it ends up! ha! Glad things are getting back to normal for you! Hahaha – try homeschooling! Since we chose to do homeschool or maybe it chose us (economy made it too expensive to continue private school)…anyhow where was I? Well, let’s just say it is exhausting trying to keep the house immaculate. Sometimes I envy my friends who put their kids in school and have all day to make their houses pretty! So my weeks are a constant Spring Break! Always taking kids on field trips, house full of laundry – clean and unclean, motivation ebbs and flows….haven’t you ever seen a homeschool mom salivating at the mouth when she sees another adult?! She clings to them hoping to talk about something other than her kids, but in the end she just talks about her kids….good grief! It will make your hormones rage and your brain melt….Aren’t you glad Spring Break is only 7 days?! 🙂 glad he is home now and you can get to I just stumbled on your blog !! I love it!!! Im glad your hubbys home and you feel better! Hugs! I think when God seeps in the way he did in Africa, the “normal” feels so, well not normal… Having your eyes opened to the life you saw there had to bring so many different emotions. I am with the above posters…dont be too hard on yourself. Sometimes the hardest thing in the world is just to be still… I’m glad Craig made it home. I hate when my husband is gone for any reason. I don’t do well without him home!! Been there. Those days where we feel like losers suck so badly. People can tell you not to feel that way, because you aren’t, but I know that when I look around my house and see what I see, and then at myself and see what I see…it ain’t pretty. It ain’t winning material. Unless the prize is for…the biggest loser! ha! So…those days are real, and I hope that you indeed find your way back. I’m glad to see your update. You are a neat lady, Meg. Thanks for sharing your life with so many people. Hi Meg! I love your blog by the way…. selfishly, its good to know that Im not the only one who has days like that! I only have 3 kids and I haven’t been to Africa! Maybe i should, then I might appreciate everything I have…,just a thought. Which I sort of why Im posting now, your blog and the beautiful pictures of the everyday family stuff show the beauty in everything, it helps me to see the beauty in my everyday, so thanks a bunch 🙂 Sweet sweet Meg… I just love your honesty girl. I hear ya about the hormones. I am PMSing in the worst way and …don’t tell anyone, but I totally fell off the wagon today, and had a piece of red velvet cake with some friends. It was so beyond good!!! Blood Diamond was life changing for me. I hope you didn’t watch it alone. My husband had to hold me through most of it. The senseless killings…it griped me for days and has changed the way I approach life. Which seems like what Africa has done for you as well. It’s a good change, just go with it…. Hang in there Meg and don’t be too hard on yourself. It takes time after such an amazing trip to reaclimate. Give yourself a break and don’t worry about the house. It’s just stuff and there are so many more important things. You. Have a sweet reunion with your hubby and get your equilibrium back. My husband travels too, but for weeks at a time a few times per year. I know *that* lady and she is awful. How is it we forget her? Initially, I get excited when my husband leaves. Time to clean [his things], special time alone with the kids, girl food (I only have girls), and co-sleeping with my girls. Then the reality that I am not a single mom kicks in. I need/miss him/resent him for having time away. It’s not fair and somehow he’s a hero upon returning home. But he’s my hero. I think something must be in the US water supply…Seriously. Me and every other woman I know is in the same state of disarray. Here’s to hoping it passes soon. maybe it’s time for a neighbor girls night out at abuelos! Oh, bless your heart. If the above suggestion doesn’t work (which is AWESOME by the way!) Maybe watching the Kevin James dance scene in HITCH will get ya. It always cracks me up. Watch it until you can do it in the mirror. If that doesn’t work, we will have to send you to a spa. We can’t all have our favorite blogger MIA! 🙂 Hang in there Meg….some days are diamonds some are stones. You need to go on a firm prescription of Romantic Comedies….not harrowing tales like Blood Diamond…and stay away from anything directed by Martin Scorsese for a couple of weeks. You might like to try watching the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth….fast forward to the bit where he jumps into the lake and then runs into Elizabeth Bennett. If you’re still not feeling any happier, rewind and watch again until you do 🙂 Hope you get your mojo back soon…be gentle with yourself. Meredy xo. Don’t be to hard on yourself. I think it is very understandable for you to have these feelings. Thanks for sharing your Africa pictures, awesome. Hang in there, I’m right there with you. I have really no reason to be in a funk yet, my hubby hasn’t left yet for his business trip and I didn’t just return from Africa and I only have two busy kids. We will get through this!!!!!!! Pretty sure we have all been there before but I feel your pain! You are singing my same song. I am not myself either, my barbies and jeans are scattered everywhere and I don’t have any energy either. This too shall pass. Right? you make me feel normal! 🙂 that’s right….you will be all better. Hey I don’t know if you know this woman or her blog, but she just got back from Africa also and she is going through a little bit of the same stuff you are. Her experience and yours have been so inspiring to me. I hope this helps and will keep you in my prayers. Here is her blog: http://www.wearethatfamily.com/ big hugs girl, know that you are amazing. my spring break with the kiddies was pretty much the same hubby away..messy house..did not do anything special and momma was sick with the flu…i started cleaning today and am trying to get my groove back…good luck with yours. With 5 kids at home, that would make anyone whiney! Enjoy Craig and STOP being so hard on yourself. My goodness, Meg. Cut yourself some slack! You just got back from a life-changing trip that was both physically and emotionally challenging. I know I would lose my mind right now if we got yet another snow. So sending prayers and hugs to you. Give yourself some time to get back in the swing of things. Rest up! Your natural go-getter self will be back. It sounds like you’ve had too much on your plate and you just now some down time. Just take a deep breath and don’t beat yourself up. Big hug, girlie. I would clean up your house for you if you were closer. But I have to warn you, my house is clean and I’m still irritable to beat the band. Summer vacation looms and I’m at a loss for the summer “plan.” Sigh. I’m happy that your man is returning soon. Hang in there. xoxo Hugs….. Oh the pictures, the beautiful pictures. I thank you for them. Some days I think I’m the only messy one, and I feel like the loser. You have no idea how healing this post is to those of us who are not type A’s. If it weren’t for my Martha Stewart Mother in law who may or may not read my blog I too would display beautiful pictures like these for all the world to see. All the world except the above mentioned you know who : ) I know… I have some work to do. Ah sweet girl, be kind to yourself. You just need to assimilate. And wine and chocolate are good for those times. Bummer Craig had to leave – mine is leaving Thursday for 5 days of sun and golf with the guys in AZ and I’m dreading it. And I only have 2 kids!!! And I didn’t just get back from such an emotional, spiritual, physical trip! {{HUGS}} this complete stranger is sending a virtual hug. if that doesn’t cheer you up, i don’t know what will. I feel ya. Just so you know. *providing lots of virtual hugs to get through the time until this feeling passes* I know just how you feel. Some experiences don’t leave you easily… if ever. It’s actually good that you were so affected by what you saw and experienced. Don’t beat yourself up about your lack of energy and motivation – you are recovering from an extremely emotional journey. You’re an awesome woman, Meg! God sees you and what you’re going through! Lean in hard on HIM… and He will sustain you! He made you and loves you and knows what you’re going through. He understands… more than you do 🙂 I’m praying for you! Things will get better soon! Oh goodness 🙁 I’m sorry you are having a bad day 🙁 I hate it when my man is gone too….things are NEVER the same 🙁 He will make alllll things better! I’m just SURE of it!!! You’ve got to still be jetlagging too 🙁 Bless you!!!!! And I can TOTALLLLLY feel for the 70 degree weather….and then snow….that was how our Spring Break ended too 🙂 But today….I think Spring knows it’s really time to come out again!!! 65 here! CRAZEEEE weather!!! I’ll say an extra prayer today for YOU!!!!!!!!!!! I think we’ve all been there. Although, I can imagine it’s much more emotionally difficult right now after your trip. Hope you feel bright and cheery soon! Oh wasn’t Blood Diamond so good! My hubby and I just sat in silence after we watched it…..we didn’t know what to say. Talk about eye-opening! Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 I can’t tell you how many times I have felt that way! I think you are just re-acclimating to life since Africa. It will get easier and more normal. You will continue to be an amazing woman and do amazingly creative and wonderful things. That’s what you do. make an “L” with your hand and put it on your forehead. welcome to the club. some days, it’s just like that for everyone I think. I know I do. I have more of those days then I want to these days…I don’t know what it is. The change in weather, the fact that I wish spring was here, I need a vacation or I just want someone else to come and take over for me…that would be nice. I remember coming home from Africa, driving to Wal-Mart to pick something up for a friend with a new baby at home, and having a total melt down. I was overwhelmed by the stuff. The choices. The wealth. It was all too much. I didn’t want to spend $20 on baby junk from China, knowing $20 would have sent a child to school for a year in Africa. I sat in the parking lot and cried. Later that evening, a friend pointed out that maybe I was suffering from some culture shock. I think it’s totally normal to feel out of sorts for awhile after a life changing experience like that. Awwww! I feel exactly like that too. Here’s hoping we both get out of our funk. I remember feeling the same way when I came back from Nepal. It’s the jet lag, I was fine the first week I got back, but the second week was killer, and I was in the middle of parent teacher conferences. I said ridiculous things, my house and classroom were a mess, and I was eating everything in site. The weirdest part was waking up thinking I was still in Nepal. You’ll be “normal” again soon, I promise. Until then, I’ll be praying for you. 🙂 We all feel that way somedays…weeks! It will pass and you will be your old self soon. Hang in there! awwww. i really feel for you. crappy weather and no man and kids on top of kids and repatriating from a 3rd world culture will send a sunny disposition into the dumpster. hope you get our of your funk in time to lay a sweet kiss on your man’s face. No need for a “Big loser” title for you because it’s far from the truth! I’m convinced there are times when we are just going to feel like doing nothing, eating what we aren’t supposed to and not exercising. At least I hope that’s what it is… I only have one child but I broke my wrist back in early February (bad decision to put on roller skates for his field trip) and I am going on wk 6 of just not feeling myself because there is so much I can’t do. Just praying for warmer weather (freak show snow down here in okc too!) and a better me at some point this Spring. You’ve been through a lot so give yourself some room to feel blah and you’ll be back soon! Ah yes – the days of wanting to crawl into a hole and pull it in after me. Bet it’s hormones more than anything – that and kind of a come down from the excitement of Africa. This too shall pass – I promise. You have my prayers to get thru the next few days. Hang in there Meg! All that you described sound perfectly normal to me considering all that you’ve had going on. This too shall pass. Sending lots of SHP to you (that’s my mantra to myself…strength, health and positivity) so….i am going to a scrapbooking bed and breakfast this weekend. those cheez-it's? i am also going to plan out my big week. one other pic from the disaster of a craft room…
ok…i have to do 25 things at least before i leave town. but the GOOD NEWS is…the b&b has WIFI. good for you for getting those lockers painted.. projects tend to sit around forever at my house before i finally get to them. feeling right at home in the craft room 🙂 LOL! Can you tell what paint you used on the lockers?? I love the “you paid for these” comment! My husband would say the exact same thing. They’re absolutely lovely 🙂 I LOVE the lockers! And, I love the craft idea with your kiddos- how fun! Hope you’ll post about it 🙂 I LOVE this posting! That is exactly how my desk at work (kindergarten teacher) and my home work areas look. I do manage to get things done, but I have no idea how to do it in a neat and orderly work area. How do some people do that? I love your stacks and piles. I think you deserve a pile-it’s lisence too! I’m proud of mine! Hi so I don’t think I have ever commented here before but I read you blog all the time and even ordered a shirt for my daughter a while back…. anyways so the lockers… awesome… I have some in my garage but I am so scared to paint them can you do a recap sometime on how you did it?Was it easy? Now I decided I should definitely go with RED! love reading ur blog almost daily so much that i made the rainbow cake for my daughters 4th bday today! everybody thought it was awesome! thanks for the recipe! I love the lockers and I think you’re BRILLIANT for the things you’re going to do at the “scrapbooking” b&b. Craft week sounds fantastic! Kelly you are a lucky girl to have a room for your stuff. mines all over the house. oh to have a room, how lovely it would be :O) lol! that is how my room looks too! mine is so bad that I moved to the dining room to assemble some feather clip items that I was making for a charity event and ding bat me, left the box of feathers in the room so when I went to work my dog (which happens to be a bird hunting dog) pulled the box down and tore it apart. When I got home there were feather and glitter all over the place!! love this post. Everybody’s craftroom looks like that in December! I am laughing so hard because about 9 months ago I went to a weekend scrapbooking weekend with one of my good friends….and didn’t scrapbook….I made jewelry. Jewelry…and I was sooo happy. Everyone’s home/office space looks like that right now. Love the lockers!!!!! Meg, I don’t typically comment, but I HAD to today. That craft room is awesome! By awesome I mean it looks just like mine. Oh except for I have NO natural light in mine, but it has so much random crap and presents and giftwrap and scrapbook stuff and picture frames that need to be fixed or nativity pieces to super glued back together. I MUST know what colour those lockers are…please email me: tntmcnulty@xcountry.tv Go Girl! Craft week idea: Birds. paper mache birds. We made them in my 6th grade art class and they were pretty cute. So maybe too hard for the little ones. All I did was squish newspaper into the general shape of bird body and head, squeeze tiny beak shape, used some masking tape to keep neck,beak, head shape, then paper mache.(incorporate loop for hanging if you want it to be an ornament) You can easily turn into an ornament because it is so lightweight. Doesn’t need legs. If you have tissue paper, last layer of paper mache can just be colored tissue and it looks REALLY cute. Or you could cover in glitter, or or or…ha ha. Can you tell I was loving the project? I will try to email you a picture. I am just having Lilly decorate some that i made as samples. Enjoy your non-scrapbooking, Scrapbooking Weekend! you can always wrap the Cheez Its up for one of the kids…just for fun. a little snack while you open up the rest of the gifts on Christmas 🙂 meg……..i belong to a scrapbooking group and i went today (friday 11th) and we had our christmas luncheon and visited and did very little scrapbooking…didn’t think to take my christmas gifts to wrap, i would of gotten credit for doing that instead scrapbooking pages. i did clean out my big bag of stuff and its so surprising what i had in there (: HAHA! This cracks me up…I’ve taking other projects to scrapbooking nights too! LOVE THE LOCKERS! I wish I had an eye for cool stuff like that! I am so feeling like your post today…….I have so many ideas of what I want to be making for holiday crafts but sadly I don’t think it will happen this year. I still haven’t finished up my Silver Bella projects. I think January will be the month! Ha! The lockers are fabulous and a big hats out for you for completing this one. I know it took lots of TLC to make them look like they do now……but atleast you have the guts to say you are going to do something entirely different than scrapbook this weekend. Yay! Cracking up laughing! I decided the same exact thing the last few sb retreats I attended. I just take a project like cards, knitting, whatever and plan on visiting and resting. I actually have a friend who makes pages for weeks in advance and hides them from her family, then she comes home from a retreat, whips them out and says, “Look what I did!!!” Genius!!! I love how your craft room still looks so fun and colorful and inviting, no matter what you’ve got going on in it! That b & b sounds wonderful, minus the scrapbooking! I love your old blue/green stools. And are those PW cookbooks I see stashed for gifts. I just got my copy and love it! Your lockers are fab too! I could take some of those items off your hands if you need me too, you know so you’d have more room 🙂 Oh you have inspired me with the whole “crafting with cookies, cocoa & music”…..wonder how I can get my two teen boys to craft? The cookies and cocoa, no brainer….I love your blog! oooh I really really really love those lockers! Good eye! And you miss Megan are no moron. Now I don’t feel so bad about the small mountain in the corner of my bedroom, Christmas presents to be wrapped. I *did* organize them, though, this weekend, so I could have a clearer picture of who I need what for. I still think your messes look pretty…maybe if I post some of my messes someone will tell me it looks pretty and I’ll feel better about my messess and piles.. but I doubt it 😉 Have a fun weekend! YOU totally crack me up. I can’t believe you are dragging all of your gifts somewhere else to wrap them. You make me just laugh inside!!! Love the lockers…awesome. They look so good painted red. BTW Jeanne told me you were going out to CO. I am beyond jealous that you guys are hanging out…without me! I want to meet you someday really bad. I swear I’m not a weirdo…honestly, just ask Jeanne. She knows I have a blog crush on you and she loves me anyway;) Hope you feel a sense of peace and control after getting some of your “to-do’s” done. OK, so wait…THIS is what you decided? To GO and drag your gifts with you? I think I need to come and strap you down to your bed. I’m so glad to see someone else has a room that looks like my office! The craft week sounds fantastic! The lockers are awesome…so jealous. You see things for their potential and that is a BEAUTIFUL things. Enjoy your productive weekend. Maybe your guardian angel just knew that you would need to have a weekend away just to wrap presents in peace and quiet. This is a trend that could take off. Mothers! Wives! Daughters! Come to us all who are weary and wrap presents at our B&B. Kid-free! No vacuuming! We’ll make all your meals! Loving it, Meg. Wow, looks like my craft room. OK, maybe not all of the cool vintage stuff, just the mess! Love the lockers. OMG. Fabulous. And my favorite part of the whole post is the hand “waving” out of the PB bag in the first pix. The pictures of your craft room make me want a craft room where I can make a mess like that. BF is a clean freak. I would love to have my own area to mess up as much as I want. I hate getting stuff in and out of a closet. i have those rainbow striped hand warmers…hee hee hee. some people would kill for those amazing aqua and green stools in your craft room…..ok, maybe just me! 😉 i have $100’s wrapped up in scrapbooking and never make the time to do it. i don’t even print my pictures for goodness sake! Even your mess is cute and colorful! Holy heck, I’m coming over and helping you clean that room. I’d be having heart palpitations. (I am everytime when I look in MY closet!) This post made me feel so much better about my life. LOL. (I saw PW cookbooks in that pile!) LOVE the Christmas crafts idea. I just may steal it if I can get over whatever this crud is that has stolen a week of my Christmas productivity! Enjoy your weekend. Oh, and I love the lockers. You have such vision 🙂 Thank you. Ooh, a whole weekend out of the house to get things done, that sounds Heavenly. I’m feeling pretty jealous over here… the lockers are AMAZING! Can I say that i am so glad to see your mess? It makes me feel better about mine! And, I love the christmas craft week idea. I think I’ll try that, too. Thanks for sharing! yeah, the idea of YOU scrapbooking was overwhelming ME! i’m so glad you’re going to get away to be productive! i love it! i NEED it! You can do it..If anyone can pull it off..it is you….Good job! First let me just admit that I am super jealous of your lockers! I pine to own some! Enjoy your weekend away and I hope that you get enough done that you can feel caught up when you get back. SO EXCITED for this weekend! I have no idea how I am going to fit 3 of us and all of our stuff in my tiny car – we may be tying some things to the top! I got my sweats and some yummy snacks, my computer and my pepsi! I’m good to go! If you REALLY REALLY REALLY want to scrapbook, you could just do some pages for me 😉 See you soon! DEEP BREATH. Have a great time!My bedroom looks like your craft room minus the cool red locker but i think i have the cheezits! The good thing is my kids are not noticing presents not put away! They would stand out more if they were in a bag in my closet all wrapped up. Al least that is what i’m telling myself…. love the lockers and love the metal stools too – I need to look through Kansas’ stuff! I’m missing out! I don’t know much about scrapbooking, but I do know plenty about Cheez Its. I hope you weren’t “yuck”ing them in general… They are so, so good. Except for when they are a tiny bit burnt. That has happened to me more than once. Come on, Cheez Its quality control, do your job! Sheesh. i laughed out loud when you called yourself a moron! of course i was thinking, “welcome to my world, sista!” the ENTIRE time i was reading! you brave girl, posting pics of your craft room–i have taken pictures of my craft room three times and still haven’t posted them on my blog. maybe today’s the day! I can’t even get into my craft/sewing room because of all of the gifts i need to wrap! those are the best pictures ever!! good luck with all your fun. remember to take deep breaths in between the chaos. 🙂 I am so glad you said all that. I have been feeling so jealous of seeing people posting scrapbook layouts all over their blogs and wanting to scrap so bad but I have christmas cards to create and gifts to sew and cleaning and a million other things. Isn’t that what a craft room should look like? Mine does except my craft area is in our bedroom so it’s kind of hard to ignore it or move around much. I hope you have fun and get organized for your christmas! I’ll be excited to read how it goes. Hahaha! Mmmmm, are those Cheezits a Christmas gift too? I work part-time at a Gymboree and one time I found a box of Wheat Thins on the back of the toilet. Who sits on the toilet and eats Wheat Thins and then leaves the box there? So gross and hilarious! Have fun this weekend, sounds like it will be super fun and productive! the CHEEZ IT box made..my..day. thank you! i’d love to see your christmas crafts because the kids and I just sat staring at each other in the craft room last evening and couldn’t come up with anything! love the lockers…i just might try that on some my husband picked up when a gym went out of business… Meg, this is such a great post. I am (and it sounds like many others) are feeling just like you. But you gave me a great idea. Since I now have a kid in kindergarten, we’re actually taking (more) time off before/after the holidays and I am going to try and make crafts/cookies/something with my kiddos when I’m off work in the mornings with them. Thanks for inspiring me! I hope you have a great weekend!! And those lockers look AMAZING! Seriously jealous. You made my day. I was thinking I was overwhelmed and needed a Xanax ( I almost called my doctor!!) But then I realized it was just normal, over committed, holiday anxiety, no neep to medicate, just sit on my butt for a few minutes and catch up on some fav. blogs… that’s even better than a xanax! Have a wonderful time! 🙂 My favorite part of this post??… I do believe you have just come up with a brilliant idea!…a “finish-up-your-Christmas” weekend…wouldn’t that be so fun?!! to meet-up with your friends, wrap presents, finish all the “lists”, EAT yummy Christmas goodies…and maybe even craft a little! sounds positively dreamy to me! Meg, thank you so much for showing your office/craft room stacked with Christams gifts…that is how my office/ craft room looks…my kids are so afraid to go in there…they haven’t even snooped …..and their presents, most of them….are stacked right there!!!! Have a great relaxing time! You crack me up! I’m stressed out for you because those pictures look like my bonus room. There are not enough hours in the day. Have fun this weekend. Oh my gosh. You are WISE for not trying to scrap right now. Maybe you could make gifts? Do you make any gifts for anyone? I am making caramel corn… not that you could make that… but my point is that I am hoping I actually MAKE IT and that it actually survives until it’s delivered because truly… I just want to sit on the couch and eat caramel corn. your making me tired… Have fun and enjoy ! I’m getting ready to have 40 people over Sunday 🙂 so long… i left my laptop charger at the craft retreat. i have now gone 45.5 hours without my laptop….my photos…access to my life. and i am trying everything to not curl up in the fetal position and cry. i kid. mostly. my husband went to buy me another one yesterday….because he is so sweet. and we found out that apple chargers cost $70. he wasn't feeling sweet anymore…he didn't buy me one. my friend came to visit from Illinois for work so thankfully i had an 18 hour distraction. but now she is gone and i just look at that laptop sitting there FULL of work to be done and nothing i can do about it. my friend pam came to my rescue and mailed it priority for me even though she is a busy mom and had 10 women in her home this weekend and she is exhausted. i may hunt down the mailman in my car… even though i am still in my pjs…no shower…no bra…coffee breath…slippers. is it illegal to go through a parked mail truck if there is not a mail carrier inside it? probably so. i guess i will have to find a way to spend some time productively today while i wait. clean the house? laundry? cook a meal? play with my kids? seriously? hurry up mail man!!!! There is nothing worse (or maybe there is…) than no access to your computer!! was a fan and a lurker – now a blogger so now a poster! have you ever heard “watching scotty grow”? i grew up with it bcs my brother’s name is scott. enjoy… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OLHevJPHR8 those chargers! we need them like we need our coffee! oh you poor thing. that would be hard. hopefully the mailman gets there soon. In my previous comment I meant to say You are SUCH a funny funny girl 🙂 I just love ya! I feel your pain. My dogs have chewed through 2 apple chargers. They are now both out of the puppy stage and hopefully the third charger will have a nice long life. Oh I feel your pain! Hope the mailman comes soon. Are you kidding? Girl, you are going to be so crazy busy once you get it back. Sit back and enjoy the breather. i love you cause you are real OOOOHHHH NOOO! I would be a mess too. I feel for you. I am SO attached to my laptop that I hall it everywhere. My husband doesn’t understand it. We went to my parents house the other day and both my son and I had our laptops with us. I would say that it is a sickness. I don’t blame Craig for not buying it. I need a new battery for my Dell and it cost $190 and I won’t buy one. (so what is the point of a laptop if I am connected to an outlet?) At least he went to the store and checked on it for you. He gets brownie points for that:) no. going through a mali truck is not illegal. But doing so with No bra on is. Oh boy, that sounds like torture! I went almost a week without my laptop this summer and it was haaaaarrd. How did we become so addicted???? Crazy world, but I sure do love me some laptop. You are so funny-I know what you mean though-these computers are just a part of our lives now. I sure hope the mail comes soon! I tried your enchilada recipe and loved it-thanks so much for the post. I am for sure making it again soon. Thanks for posting and being so much fun to read about-your family is awesome. I’m hearin’ ya! My daughter Kerys tripped over my old laptop charger BENDING it… much as I tried to force the thing in, my poor mac wasn’t having any of it. Straight onto ebay with about 12% battery remaining I found and bought a second hand apple charger for about £25ish (dunno what that is in dollars sorreeeee). i know, right??? hurry mail dude…meg is gonna die! Oh you poor thing… cold turkey is not the cure!!! I know I couldn’t breathe if that were me!!! you could come and photograph my dog and my kids and use our charger. WOW – I sure hope you’re mailman has gotten there so you can quit pacing the floors! LOL P.S. I nominated you for an award – go check it out on my blog! Hugs, Trac~ :o) Not good! crap! i hope it gets there today or i will feel awful. i should have driven it there and skipped my pap smear. 🙂 I went nearly 4 days w/o mine! Yikes. It was a strange feeling, and even stranger to reunite. you could come to my house and clean. and you could bring your mom and sister too!! I think I would maybe have a nervous breakdown. I might be exagerating a tiny bit, but just a little. WITHDRAWAL …. seriously need chocolate. Aack! We need to start a support group. I’ve been without mine since (gasp) FRIDAY! I’m definitely having withdrawls and finally begged my husband to bring his home from work. I even said it in my blog yesterday: don’t those geniuses at the apple store know I need to blog?!? Hurry!! Hurry up mailman!!! A watched pot never boils. As soon as you start a chore he should come…. right? Hope you get your charger today, Meg. 🙂 I was wondering why you had no new posts! Was anxiously awaiting all the crafts you made. Too funny (your post- not your situation)! I’ve had to borrow friends’ chargers before… then cringe at the thought of how addicted to technology I am! Oh well, that’s just life in 2009 for you! Hope the mailman hurries! hurry up mr.postman!!!!!! If you get truly desperate, take it the Apple store. They’ll charge it for you. 🙂 Love you meg!!! better you than me! That’s hardcore. i could barely read that without shaking. Hope you get it back soon. That’s so funny, Meg. Thanks for the much needed laugh. Hope that mailman gets to you soon. BTW, I had the BEST dream last night. Seth Meyers (SNL). Sigh. xoxo i know! take a tub and go get a pedi! Hurry mail man, Hurry! Meg needs you 🙂 that seriously makes my stomach hurt. it went down like this….. thursday may 7, 7:20 PM
RING RING
RING RING
Me: hello
my Mother-in-Law: Sooooo…i take it you aren't coming?
Me: coming to what?
MIL: 5th grade promotion?
Me: what are you talking about?
MIL: i am here watching the 5th grade promotion
and you aren't here.
Me: where?
MIL: the kids' school.
Me: what are you talking about?!
MIL: i talked to craig…i saw it on the school calendar…
it is half over.
Me: SCOTT!!
ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE AT PROMOTION RIGHT NOW?!!!
Scott: deer in the headlights…frozen…speechless
Me: UGH! sorry…do you want to come over?
MIL: yada…yada…yada
click.
i walk outside to craig mowing the lawn.
Me: did you know about scott's promotion?
your mom just called…she's sitting at it!!!
Craig: oh no! did we miss it?
i guess she did say something once.
Me: Well that's just GREAT!
Craig: "i'm not that mom."
craig and i crack up laughing.
all a complete accident on scott's part.
i had honestly not heard or thought one second about it.
i do recall lauren having one of those…but never thought of it for scott.
such a perfect example of what kind of mom i am.
🙂
Hee Hee, My younger son often purposely did NOT inform me of things like that. He didn’t think it was cool to have mom around! Real moms aren’t perfect! This story only makes me love you all the more. 🙂 I was sitting right in front of your mil, as she looked around in confusion…hee hee hee…it was the best part of my evening! I received an e-mail from my son’s teacher and at the end she asked if I will make it to the banquet. I’ve never received the invitation, Seth hasn’t mentioned it, and I knew nothing about it. My guess is Seth doesn’t want to go or he would have made sure I had it. She was happy to fill me in on the details though so … I guess I’ll be there. My point is – it must not have been a big deal to Scott or he wouldn’t have let you (or Craig) forget. 🙂 That’ll be a memory you laugh about for years to come. 🙂 At least you laughed about it! I love that about you. they have promotions for kindergarden, promotions for fifth grade, promotions for 8th grade, then FINALLY….Graduation!!! If it wasnt a biggy for scott then nothing lost. Sad that your MIL was sitting there waiting but if Scott wasnt sad then no biggy. what is a promotion? and you KNOW that you are not alone, right? I missed pizza day, bake sale, and book fair…all in one week. I am just thankful that I fed all four kids this week, not to mention, didn’t lose any of them. Ha ha ha! That’s awesome! Seriously. Thank you. Thank you for being honest and making me know that I am not alone in my duh-ness! 🙂 Turns out I had a DUH moment today , I FORGOT TO FEED MY KIDS, I told them I would bring a hot lunch to school at lunch , well I got a call from my dear daughter , she didn’t even have to say a word , I was busy working away at a design plan and making sure I had time to get to another and I completely forgot I needed to bring my children their food , BAD MOTHER … so luckily I was home and drove over and took them for McD’s , even better than the mac and cheese I was going to make , shining moment huh! PS – I love your blog, your photos, your house…Happy Mother’s Day – I think you deserve to wear the crown this year for being the most honest, real, and hilarious mom around! Love it! And I love Julia’s comment – you both made me snort laughing!! Now, if Scott had been there, it would be different, but he was in a much better place, at home with the two of you. Did your MIL come over? Ha! Did your mother in law by any chance take a picture? That would be an awesome layout: Guess what’s missing from Scott’s Promotion Ceremony? Scott! Hey, don’t sweat it. We are all that kind of mom at one point or another. Heck I left mine at the little league field. I thought his dad had him until I got a call from my husband saying, “Is Sam with you?” “Uh, no.” About that time call waiting kicks in and it is another mom from the team who is standing at the concession stand with him. He was in 6th grade at the time. I’ve raised 3 boys. They don’t tend mention these things. Have a great summer. LOL, know that well! You are an excellent mother and your kiddos are so very blessed to have you. I have NEVER commented here before but I read your blog religiously. I first stumbled upon it through ashleyannphotography. I attend church with ashley (when I’m in the country) and am blessed by such talent around me. Your blog is an inspiration and I seriously hope to be a creative, fun loving mom one day like you so seem to be! After looking at the youtube video below, I had to share this with you. The song is amazing and will make you want to dance. I hope you enjoy! ohhh!! a mom just like me!! Don’t worry, I’m worse. I’m mean to my kids like a bad baby-sitter. And am hopping mad that I’m having ANOTHER boy when he is clearly supposed to be a girl. You ARE a real model of what a mom should be!!!!! If it makes you feel any better…last year I missed Connor’s KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION!!!! I didn’t forget it really…in my mind I had 10:00 and it was at 9:00 🙁 Can you say big.old.loser!!!!! (He didn’t even care…and that is what saddens me the most 🙁 Glad he still loves me! And doesn’t (and won’t) remember it!!!! Just me…beating myself up, even a year later 🙂 I’m glad we can all laugh about it!! Have a WONDERFUL Mother’s Day!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too funny! Thanks for sharing. I one time dropped off my oldest son at Pre~school all dressed up for Halloween. His little friend was waiting at the door for him not dressed up at all. I drove home feeling bad that his Mom forgot about the Party! When I went back to pick Seth up all the other kids came out and none of them had costumes either! I had the wrong day!!Duh! Thankfully Seth didn’t mind at all and he just said he needed to wear a differnt costume for the real party!LOL! Happy Mother’s Day! Oh my! I’m so glad someone else does things like this. Laughing here. I LOVE IT. That is hilarious. Not sure which part is funnier though, Craig’s mom watching random kids (minus her grandson) graduating 5th garde or you three missing it! That is classic! SO glad I’m not the ONLY mom….just forgot the snack for soccer…what’s worse…I pretended to be shocked “someone” could forget the snack…(of course that “someone” was ME…I totally disappoint myself! Ha!) Happy Mothers Day! thanks for keepin it real. Halarious! I had a moment a few years ago where I …. get ready for this now… lied (can you believe it?)to my kid… This is how the conversation went- Oh No!!! But I’m thrilled that you are laughing about it. Much better story to have in 10 years than the story you would have gotten had you gone. (Right? 🙂 ) At work we were discussing yesterday what the point of all these random graduations is, anyway. Just make sure you don’t miss his senior graduation! that is brilliant. seriously. a lot like me completely missing picture day. I am so not that mom either. This is sooo something that would happen to me! I forget so many things from day to dayl; dont’ feel bad. You didn’t even know about it! I think you’re a wonderful mom. hilarious! i have done it…and i’ve been “that mom”. oh well, hug him, smile and give him some love and he’ll be just fine. you, on the other hand, that’s another story! have hubs pamper you a little since he was “that dad” You are a wonderful mom! My kids are 17 and almost 14 and I know that I have missed recognition assemblies for both of them. Not to mention an appointment with the speech therapist and her county boss (I was painting!). And I only have 2 kids! So you have plenty of company. Yesterday was that day for me…I invited a friend (someone from church I am trying to get to know better!) to bring her daughter to my daughter’s “bring a friend to ballet” day…I told her 2 or 3 times, “see you on Thursday!” you are a great mom. if your son is anything like mine. he won’t want to go to any of that stuff. so it probably won’t be the first of his ceremonies that you will be missing. boys are so different than girls. they would rather be at home playing then at the school for anything else after the bell rings. Oh Meg, that is too much! Obviously Scott didn’t care if he went. SO all’s good. Now, Lauren’s is the 20th, right?? Oh, I’m laughing out loud. Not at you though. With you. If you’re laughing too, that is. 🙂 you are so real. that’s why i love to read your blog. no one is perfect. i forget so many things….i worry about how bad i’ll be when i really am old!!!! You are a perfectly wonderful mom! 🙂 Totally one of my daily inspiration. 🙂 And yours is the only other blog my husband reads. 🙂 “that mom”, the perfect mom is a figment of our imagination. “that mom” that we see at every school function, is in charge of the PTA, organizes drivers for school field trips, sends out emails for the end of the year teacher gift (just got mine)….that mom is secretly staggering into the closet of her bedroom sobbing her eyes out because she really needs to have a nervous breakdown but she doesn’t have the time. Yikes , no guilt given there , that sounds so like something I would miss , you’re not alone |
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andrea - yes, thank you…i like real, because that is all that is around here
Tracy - Thank you for this post. This is me…this is reality (now could someone just explain that to my husband???) I love your blog…I feel like you are in my head 1/2 the time…it feels so nice to know I am not alone!
Nancy - the red EAT letters on your counter–are they wood, metal, what? did you buy them like that somewhere or paint them yourself? Please let me know. i think they might work for an idea i have for my kitchen. can they hang on the wall?
thanks.
loniann - Thank you for posting this! Exactly what I needed to see.
becky @ farmgirl paints - A beautiful mess:)
the inadvertent farmer - Same boat and not a paddle among us!
Emily Zimmerman - Thank you for showing this picture!!! I’m a new mom of a 3 year old and 8 month old. I’m still adjusting to life as a mom. Trying to find a balance. I thought being a stay at home mom would simplify my life. I think it has, but I wasn’t prepared for the complexity of motherhood!! Which brings me to the cluttered house picture. This is my house most days. And I am still trying to embrace it. I’m still trying to see the good in it. The time spent together with family. The time spent making memories. Instead when I look at my house I see clutter and mess. I see a room that’s not worthy of company. I use the mess to beat myself up about my lack of effort. See, I’m still trying to find a balance. I don’t think the messy house is going to be leaving my life anytime soon, so meanwhile I will be looking for the good in at and kicking out the negative thoughts and feelings. Any advice you have for new mothers would be greatly appreciated!
Jen D. - Love this post! It made my day today. I clean, my family messes it up. Rinse and repeat! I also was feeling like I was the only one with this complaint. So often I see beautiful homes and so very CLEAN on the blogs that I read. Thanks for being real and authentic. I have three kiddos four and under…life is busy.
Angie - I love it!
Ashley - Oh I am sooo happy you posted this…I was beginning to feel like I was the only one who picked up just to have it be unpicked up minutes later…:)
jennibell - And then I somehow posted before I re-read what I had written or put my blog address in. Holly was in your comments 🙂 Sigh. It’s been one of those days. Thanks for this post. . .I needed to see I’m not the only one. . .I’m motivated now!!
jennibell - Meg, so I linked to Holly, saw your Rainbow Cake, linked to that, saw that you said instructions were posted May 22, 2009, went to your homepage, but I don’t find a post dating that far back? I would love the recipe!!
Thanks.
Jenni
Karen - I love your barstools. Where’d you get them?
Denissa - Yep, that is life with kids and summer vacation 🙂
Wendy - We are definitely in the same boat. I try & tell myself that I will miss it one day!
Ashley Stinson @ The Hillside Home - Amen, sister.
got2havefaith - And, as soon as you turn around to clean another room, the room you just cleaned is a mess again! It never ends.
kristine - it takes way longer than “twice as long” to clean it up 🙂
Stacy Christy - I hear ya! I opted to go to bed early tonight so I can get up and run in the morning and left the kitchen sink full of dishes. They probably won’t get cleaned ’til tomorrow afternoon!
heather - Too funny! I wrote a blog post Sunday night (that posted Monday morning) about letting go of wanting a clean house, normal-size body, me-time, etc and just enjoying summer with my kids without feeling guilty about those things. then monday afternoon I completely freaked out about the state of our house and spent all of naptime cleaning! pathetic! (the sad part is it’s still not what I would call clean and it will be downright gross by the weekend for sure!) 🙂
Jennifer - Ha ha Meg. Your house on its worse days looks better than mine on its best! And I only have two kids. :/
Kat - Thanks for keeping it real Meg.
I am so over these perfect blog homes that make me feel down about the “real, lived in” state of my home with 4 kids.
I love the way you are so honest and open!
Hope you get a chance to sort the mess.
ann - You know your house is beautiful when it still looks good messy. Yours does, for sure!
Daniele Valois - I so get this! It is never ending. But how boring would like be without my gaggle of girls messing up our home!
Sugar Mama - The more time me and the kids spend in the house, the messier. The more FUN we have in the house… even messier! So, to me, it’s all worth it!
Mindy Harris - you mean with 5 kids your house doesn’t look like pottery barn all. the. time?
😉
amber - Oh yucky…me too. 3 year olds & infants make the same messes as big kids? Nice. That same American Eagle bag is on my floor right now, torn, & stuffed full of Mr. Potato Head body parts. Can I call that re-purposed? 🙂 hehe
Janine - Don’t feel bad. I don’t have kids and my house ends up looking like that sometimes. I can’t even blame anyone but me and my husband. I joke that 50 people came in and used all my dishes and messed the place up while I was out!
Lisa K - Thank you 🙂 xo
myrnie - I adore this picture. Truly adore. Thanks for posting 🙂
jodi @ back40life - I so feel you…ours seems to stay out-of-control…our 17 mo old loves to “tote” things…so you never know what you’ll find where…that girl is busy! LOL
Rachel - I LOVE your mess!! It makes me feel so human, so normal! I just came across your blog last week, and I have looked forward to connecting everyday since…you remind me to live life…thank you. ps. i had the same denim couch…so instant connection!! just had to retire it cause too much family cozy time was wearing it out! Looking forward to more “moments” from your blog!
jacki jasker - Your not kidding! It will never really end until they are all gone. It will take a long time. ha
Dana@Bungalow'56 - I’ve decided that your mess looks much better than my mess…BECAUSE… everything in your house is white or light. The mess, to me, looks relatively light and clean. My house colours are dark and earthy and when it’s messy it looks dark and dirty. So therefore I have decided that I need to paint my house white and buy only bleachables. This, I think is the answer:n) Thank you for the a ha moment.
Dana
Karina - I still love your kitchen. It always looks good to me. Even better when it is lived in. Keep smiling. (And folding…)
Heather Young - Thank you for sharing this picture! As I sit on my couch avoiding the mass mess that has accumulated in less than 24 hours I am letting the guilt go over sitting on the couch instead, writing and reading my favorite blogs 🙂 Thanks for always being so real, and your house is gorgeous messy or not ;0.
Sara @ It's Good to be Queen - oh, good it’s not just me.
Lindsey@ Piecefully Home - oh, how I love honesty 🙂
fabulous blog! I think I’ve beens stalking for awhile now.
Sara - This is exactly how i feel today. good to know we are not alone if our messiness!
Mindy - Your reality is my reality … wish I had the same kitchen as you though!
Lillian - Definitely right there with you:)
Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - I’m in the boat 🙂
Heather - I absolutely adore you- this picture is on of the reasons why!!! This is exactly what my home looks like right now. Yesterday I cleaned both bathrooms and 15 minutes later went in to find pee all over the wall and floor and toothpaste “artwork” on the vanity and mirror. Yesterday I had to remind myself over and over that I should be grateful to clean up such messes- it means I have children to clean up after. I am truly blessed, I just wish sometimes that I was blessed with a cleaning crew to follow my little ones around. LOL!!
Blessings,
Heather:)
Georgia - Argh i feel worse, i dont have kids, im 22 and my place looks worse than that.. yours looks like a palace compared to mine…
I blame the dogs and the Fiance…. lol
xxx
Sheila - Sorry Megan…it’s my fault! Lately I’ve been praying for a house like yours. I guess God has a sense of humor because today your house looks more like mine!
www.Kellyloves.wordpress.com - looks like my house!!!
http://www.kellyloves.wordpress.com
a pocket full of posies - AMEN!!! just what I needed to see (and read!) this morning!
we are not alone! 🙂
Blessings!
Jill
shawnette - Your home is lived in. That is how we want it to be… right. They won’t remember if it was clean, they will remember if it was fun. I LOVE your blog!
Jen - Well, I would say that it shows a loving, lived-in room. A room where you prepare meals for people you love, a room where you fold clothes for people you love, a room where your littlest daughter is learning to love and nurture (the baby doll seat) like she has been loved and nurtured, a room where a really cool mom makes a teenager smile with a treat in a bag from American eagle, a room where creativity is encouraged (markers and crayons), and room where children know they can just be children and relax and feel secure. Our oldest is going to college in just 50 days. Enjoy these “messy” days. The “neat and clean” ones will be here before you know it! 🙂
april - YES!!!! Its like those dreams where you’re running but not going anywhere!! lols I have a friend who has a cleaning person come and I tell her shes not allowed to talk about it or we cant be friends…lols…
Vera - Oh boy did you make my day today! Do you ever feel like you’re the only one whose house looks like this? I have mountains of laundry – clean and dirty – piled througout the house. We just added Baby #3 to the house and it is CRAZY. I keep thinking it must be impossible to have more than 3, but I guess it’s not. I have no idea how you do it ha!
chasity - my favorite quote to use at moments like this~~
“many hands make light work”
the kids don’t think it’s a good one~but i do!
Sara - Yup… my reality and your reality are exactly the same. Glad to hear that EVERYONE else struggles with the same thing as I do!
Sheryl - So glad I’m not the only whose house looks a mess, always!
Trish - same boat here… only I am in the nesting phase with only 14 more days til this little guy arrives and my wonderful husband and I spent 7 hours cleaning, de-cluttering and organizing yesterday. With all that being said… the house is still a mess 🙂
Kirsten - It is everyone’s reality – let me tell you, I had a party for 50 people a few months ago. My house was shining. I was so proud…I worked diligently all week, picking a new corner or closet – the junk drawer even got cleaned out! And one little guy got hurt, so I took him and his mama up to my room to snuggle and watch Scooby, and the mama said, “oh no! we don’t have to go upstairs!!! if you saw my upstairs you’d report me to CPS” and she kept saying how nice everything looked. And about 48 hours later? yeah…reality.
Allyssa W. - Looks JUST like my house…daily…with three kids and a dog! Props to you for posting a pic of it! I LOVE IT!
alyssa - the bane of my existence…good to be reminded I’m not alone.
Marie Tere - Just back from a week at the lake and I can’t catch up on laundry. If the kids would just stay naked for a few days I think I’d get caught up.
Colleen/And Baby Makes Five - I just want to hug you, Meg! Having everyone home all summer (including my husband) means that we’re in a constant state of clutter and, sometimes, chaos. And there’s lots of sand everywhere too. Don’t even ask me about my bathrooms… Ahem.
Glad we’re all in such fabulous company…
Stephanie - I’m not a mom…but I feel the same way about our house, just the 2 of us. By house I mean apartment. I can’t even keep up with that. Lord love a duck, how am I ever going to have kids?
Tricia - We are indeed in the same boat. Just to warn you, though. My boat is starting to sink. 😉
Amber Zimmerman - Sooo glad I’m not alone in this! 🙂
I have umpteen piles of clean laundry waiting to be folded and loads waiting to be put away as I type. Sigh.
Robyn - i was just moaning about this last night as i scrubbed the bathrooms and no sooner than i walked out of the bathroom did someone go in and pee in the clean toilet!
i just long to have the house clean and no one mess it up for a few hours! is that too much to ask??!
apparently!
patti - so true. thanks for the reality check.
Michelle Whitlow - oh thank God, cause sometimes I feel like the only one!!
Kristi - oh yes, rowing hard but getting nowhere. story of this mom’s life, that is for sure!
deb meyers - Everybody sing it now:
All my life’s a circle;
Sunrise and sundown;
Moon rolls thru the nighttime;
Till the daybreak comes around.
It seems like I’ve been here before;
I can’t remember when;
But I have this funny feeling;
That we’ll all be together again.
No straight lines make up my life;
And all my roads have bends…
Harry Chapin
http://www.amazon.com/Circle-LP-Version/dp/B001224OZ2/ref=dm_att_trk8?ie=UTF8&qid=1278424762&sr=8-2-ent
shelly @familyblt - Makes me glad I’m not the only one 🙂 I’m ignoring at least 4 loads of laundry that are staring me down across the room…
Melanie - Oh honey, you need some help don’t you? I would come and help you clean if I lived closer. I like to clean and organize and I don’t have 5 kids:) I wish I could help.
Lori McDonough - Yes, I’m in that boat, too, i just can’t find a seat because there’s too much laundry everywhere! Great to know I’m not alone! Smiles!
Becky - What totally amazes me is that even with only two adults….chaos seems to grow on holiday weekends. Since it was raining, I was sewing and creating and not cleaning. And my better half kept emptying his pockets in a new spot every day!!!! BUT, we talked and sat on the front porch watching it rain…drinking coffee because it was cool out…
Holly - I know in my head that other people’s homes aren’t totally clean all of the time, but it’s hard to imagine they can be as messy as mine. But you have made me feel so much better – we really aren’t alone! Good luck with your mess as I work on mine!
stacie - we are all in the same boat!! thanks for reminding me. sometimes the messes drive me nuts, other times i feel just like what you said here … it’s our reality as moms 🙂
Janelle - I SO appreciate you posting this! Many times I feel like it is only my house that looks this way and I wonder what I am doing wrong!
April B - Thank you for posting this picture. Makes me feel so much more normal. I like the “job security” comment.
Christine Boucher - Thank you! I feel so much better!!!!!
mindi jo - I’m showing my husband this today so that he realizes we are “normal” in the scope of family life! Thanks for posting!
kat - Amen! We are definitely all in the same boat!
Beth Ann - That is my reality today. I always say I am not sure how we are able to destroy a house in a weekend. My ‘monday’ (or tuesday in today’s case) will be spent picking up & cleaning up. Good luck!
elma - I also LOVE your home!! Yes a mess comes with having children in our cases many children but I LOVE it and wouldn’t change it for the world!!
Maureen - messy or clean, I still love your house…
Dianne - thank you so much for showing this. makes me feel so much better.
Holly - oh wow Meg! I just did a “laundry” blog post last night! I posted a picture of my huge pile of clothes that were actually all clean just waiting to be folded and put away! Ha! It is so good to see that I am not alone in my battle!
Carolyn - Oh yes! It can be so frustrating! I appreciate you posting this photo…it is easy to feel like I’m the only one! And don’t you feel like it’s even worse in the summer?
edie - oh my dear meg, if you could see mine right now….. we had such a good weekend though that it was worth it. and what am i going to do first? clean? doubt it. probably sit by the lake with my coffee and blog!
love to you friend,
edie
Jaime A. - My house is CLEAN right now.
But that’s just because we are in San Diego on vacation.
The moment we even get near our front door, I know what will happen. lol…
Life is messy! 😀
Karen F. - Sheesh . . . I super appreciate you posting this picture. I love a real-life, tell it like it is, show it like it is kind of gal!
Thanks!
-Karen
Firstbrook Five
Donna - I just posted something similar as my facebook status!
Jane - God bless you for posting this picture….I’m NOT alone!!!
Lisa - ahh the sweet mess of life. giggling at the eat letters all out of sorts.
Darlene - hey – your house looks like mine. it seems that just as the place gets tidied up…..it gets messed up even faster. i call it job security!! 🙂 🙂
LouBoo - Hi – it’s almost a relief to see this picture as my house too resembles it! Each day I tidy it up and each day they mess it up and we are not even on school holidays yet! I know you are…keep the faith! 😉 Lou x
La Tempête - Gosh we must be having so much fun here then, Keri! Hahaha. Family life.
PaisleyJade - totally! Our place was a total mess yesterday morning when we had surprise visitors! Oh how I cringed.
Keri ~ Forever Folding Laundry - Yes, definitely the life of mom.
And you’re not alone, either.
But a messy house means you’re having fun, right?
Right?!
At least that’s what I tell myself….
🙂