Mommy Half Day

I took a mommy half day today. It was actually like a fourth of a day after working an eight hour shift and showing up at my parents place by six o’clock.

But I had had three uncontested hours to myself.

No demands.

Did I feel guilty?

No.

Should I?

Maybe.

I did take a twenty minute shower.

It was pure bliss. I even got to shave. Highly impressive.

All day at work I had been dreaming of that shower. About using my beyond believable Bath and Body Works body wash and lotion (Sweet Pea). About the hot water warming my African skin…ok, that’s too much info, but the thought of an unrushed shower really was the saving grace that got me through the day.

Being a mom I did think about maximizing this alone time to get my house cleaned and organized. But then I walked through the door and realized I would need more than a few hours to truly tackle my ransacked-looking home.

Then my shower relaxed me so much that I decided that I should wear jeans instead of my usual jogging pants.  So I compromised and folded laundry while I watched The Real Housewives of Hollywood.

Yes, I admit it. It’s one of my dirty little secrets and I am completely hooked on the Hollywood housewives.

They’re like a different species.

They make me love my life.

The ransacked-laundry filled mess it is.

That says a lot because lately that life has been showing its tarnished parts. Dissatisfaction has been rearing its head. Plus, it seems that everyone has a stake in what I do on a daily basis.

But all it took was three hours and the housewives to make it somewhat better.

And David Turtera.

He’s like the Cesar Milan of weddings.

But I realized something in those three hours. That everyone has a purpose, actually several purposes in life. The idea is not to get lost in between your purposes.

After discovering this, I decided my purpose was to enjoy my alone time and not fill it with activities that would stress me out.

Hence I relaxed and watched the Hollywood housewives.

Amazing what a decent shower will do.

Organization is not everything…it just helps

The four reasons why organization is key (in no necessary order):

1)      Organizing everything wears you out, which hopefully knocks you out (per no interruptions) for the night.

2)      It relieves stress.

3)      It grants a woman with the satisfaction that she has control of this minute moment in time and space. Tomorrow she will do it all again.

4)      When anyone (child, husband, mother, etc.) asks where something is, she doesn’t have to go and find it, she can tell them where it is. One of the greatest multi-tasking tools ever!

The one reason why women give up on organization:

1)      We are gluttons for punishment and drinkers of guilt. We think everything deserves 100% of our attention when in reality most things deserve less than 50%. We are nurtured to be perfectionists, while inside we are chaos and consider ourselves failures because our home décor consist of strewn clothes, toys to trip over and unwashed dishes. 

The one remedy for this is: Remember a child’s memories are not made up of perfectly matched outfits and immaculate appearances. They are made up dancing in the rain, splashing in mud puddles, and being tickled until you pee you pants. That a husbands needs are met when you have a moment for a hug or a kiss, the time to listen to his bad day, and the strength to help him build is dreams.  

A woman can be satisfied on the love of her family and the knowledge of herself worth. Add the grace of God in and she is set for life. We may not be perfect and lack in major organization skills, but we make up for it in our genuine efforts to make the best of every situation.

So, on those days when organization refuses to be nice and has become your life time nemesis, stop worrying about it and create a lasting memory with you family.