Let’s Catch Up

So, I had two writing deadlines to meet this week. One was a guest post for a fellow blogger and one was my contributing author gig at Blissfully Domestic. All that to say, I don’t have the time today to create a wonderfully insightful blog post on Perfection. Or freedom from it, or whatever. But I do have time for a nifty list of things stirring in my brain. I happen to think in lists. More accurately, I think in flow charts. I used to think I was really weird for thinking in flow charts, until one day, I confessed this to my brother. I whispered it to the tone of “I see dead people.”

“I think in flow charts.”

To which he responded, “So do I! That means you have the spiritual gift of teaching.”

Since he’s a pastor, a teacher AND a school principal, I totally believed him. Plus, I already knew I had the spiritual gift of teaching. So, that was just icing on the cake. Or spiritual confirmation.

But since I can’t blog in flow charts, I will have to settle for lists. Which are a close-second in my brain. And third would be icing on cake.

1. Wednesday was nutty. I crammed the day full of activity and then got all stressed out because I was so busy. Then I beat myself up for over-scheduling myself AND for stressing. So, I did the only thing a good wife would do under those circumstances: I yelled at Jon while I cleaned my kitchen loudly. You know, banged the pots and pans and slammed the cupboard doors.Oh, wretched woman that I am. I have since apologized for both the yelling and the banging.

2. Thursday, Elliana (my 4 year old) woke up with a scratchy throat and a 99.2 temperature. Would I be a bad mom if I confessed to you that I was HAPPY she was sick? That meant we had to skip her dance lesson. And stay in jammies and rest. And rest, I did. Boy was I exhausted from the previous day of over-scheduling, stressing, yelling and banging. After sending the other kids off to school, I climbed onto the couch under my giant soft blankie and slept while Elliana watched Princess and the Frog. Three times. If the fact that I was happy my child was sick doesn’t qualify me as a bad mom, then letting that same child watch a full-length feature film three times most certainly does.

3. Excuse me? You mean that SHE was supposed to rest because SHE was the one who had the fever? Oh. Right.

4. I really need to deliberately schedule more down time during the day. I feel like I hit the ground running at o-dark-thirty, and don’t stop until everyone is in bed. The funny thing is, a huge chunk of my day is spent either carpooling my kids somewhere or sitting at the computer trying to be creative. Why is that so exhausting? Weird.

5. American Idol. Dude. Is this not the best talent EVER? LOVE the guy who keeps playing the bass. And love the guy who has the blonde hair and the higher softer voice, who plays the guitar. Why are we just now seeing him? He is amazing. And love the red-headed kid who was bullied at school before Idol. I hope he goes really far so he can laugh in all their faces. Love the 17-year-old kid who plays the piano and looks like Prince Ali from Aladdin. Sorry to see little 15-year-old J.C. go. I loved him, too.

6. At some point during the last 10 seasons of American Idol, I stopped identifying with the contestants, and instead started identifying with the MOM’S of the contestants.

7. I am on week 12 of P90X. Technically, I am on week 11 of the written program, because I added a week in there when I got the weeks messed up. But I’ve been physically doing it for 12 weeks. Today I did Shoulders and Arms. I did NOT want to work out today. But I did. And I’m glad I did. I feel great. And I like the way P90X looks on me. I’m going to keep going until we leave for Spring Break. Then I’m going to go to a modified version of P90X. More on that in a later post.

8. I mentioned that I did a guest post for someone. Yeah, he asked me to write about marriage. Which, incidentally, is also a list. While I was stressing pondering about what I would write, it occurred to me that I don’t write very much about my marriage on my blog. “Why is that?” I asked myself. And myself pondered more, and then myself concluded that myself doesn’t feel very good at the marriage thing. I mean, I think Jon and I have a great marriage, over all. And Jon tells me all the time that I am a great wife. But deep in my heart, (and even as I type that) I feel like I am far from a great wife. Most days I feel like I stink at being even a good wife. (see #1). I wonder if that has something to do with my perfectionism? Or maybe the Enemy just trying to keep me deceived and discouraged? I don’t know. But I think I’m going to start writing more marriage-based posts. We’ve been through a lot as a couple. I think maybe we have some good things to offer you married folk. Even if I don’t always feel like it.

9. Speaking of Spring Break and guest posts, are any of you faithful reader/bloggers interested in guest posting for me in a few weeks? I will need two good posts about hearing God’s voice in everyday life or maybe your struggle with perfection. If you are interested, please click the link to the guest post guidelines. I will need those submissions no later than March 18th. Gracias.

10. Have any of you ever used a French Press to make your coffee? Jon bought me one for Christmas, which was thoughtful, sweet and totally unexpected. I love the way my coffee tastes in the French Press. And it’s so pretty on my counter top. But here’s my problem: first, it requires me to boil water BEFORE I pour it into the Press. This is two-step coffee making at o-dark-thirty. Which is bad. Second, it doesn’t keep the coffee hot. So my first cup of coffee is steaming hot. But my second cup of coffee is barely warm. And since I drink my coffee from a stainless steel travel mug (necessary for all the morning carpooling), I have to pour the coffee from the French Press into ANOTHER cup to warm it, and then back into the travel mug. Will someone please enlighten me about this process? Is there an easier way? Or should I just go back to my old ugly Mr. Coffee?

11. Would I be a totally bad mom if I confessed to you that between #7 and #8, I picked up Elliana from mother’s day out and she felt warm. So, I took her temp, and she had a fever again? That I, Queen of Please Keep Your Sick Child Away from My Healthy Children, put my sick child into childcare with all the healthy children? If it makes you feel any better, I gave her a bunch of TLC and tucked her (yes HER) in for a nap. While I drink lukewarm coffee from the French Press to stay awake and finish this post.

12.  I made the best pot of chili yesterday.  You know how sometimes you get the seasonings just right and it tastes so good?  My 9-year-old son said, “Mom, will you please feed me this chili every day?”  Sweet boy.  And it was a perfect day for chili.  Cold and rainy.  Am I the only one who checks the weather forecast before she plans dinner?  I mean, chili tastes so much better on cold and rainy days.  Know what I’m saying?

13.  My cat just puked ON my napping, feverish daughter.  Yes, ON her.  Gross.  Gotta go.

So, tell me…what is going on in YOUR life? Let’s catch up!