Long Time, No See

Well....

Long time, no see, huh?

I've been pretty busy lately here on The Home Front.  A school year to finish up, a high school graduation, a middle school graduation, doctor appointments, orthodontist consults...

I'm very grateful that we have finally reached summer... 

Time for playing outside in the cool morning air, drinking lemonade in the shade of the patio table umbrella, trekking across the rocky shore of the lake to the perfect fishing spot for catching crappie and spotted bass.

Also, I must add, more time to do dishes and laundry.  To paraphrase Jack Prelutsky, Oh dishes and laundry, I love you, you stink...

But not really.  I kind of enjoy having clean plates on which to eat, and clean clothes to pull out of my closet at need.  So while there never seems to be time to completely get these two chores "caught up" during the school year, I have made it a priority to work on these areas now that our days aren't quite so packed. 

And I've resolved to not complain about the dishes and laundry when they have piled up and threaten to bury me.  It seems like almost every day I run across a post or article in which moms are complaining about the enormous burden of D & L, and how they can't ever be kept up on, and how it's not fair to expect moms to take care of the kids and the housework and the laundry and ....

Enough already!  Sometimes, yes, I'm the mom that needs some commiseration and grace because things are out of control.  Sometimes, I'm the mom that totally needs to suck it up and get my rear in gear.  (Ooh...idioms that rhyme!  Bonus!)  Sometimes, I'm the mom who is complaining about other people's complaining, which is kind of a double dose of unpleasant-ness...but sometimes it's called for, don't you think?

Just because I'm home all day and set my own hours doesn't mean I get to slack off.  Just because it's summer (and you know that all teachers get summer off, right?) doesn't mean I get to let things slide.  Being a mom is my job.   Besides, a clean counter and sparkling sink are a joy to behold in the morning, even if they take some effort the night before.

I am not trying to make anyone feel bad.  Often times, we get busy doing things (many of those things being essential, fun, and otherwise good things) and the D & L suffer.  That's life.

But most of the time, I can keep up on them pretty well, with a little effort.  [And by me, I mean me and my awesome cleaning crew.  They're very cheap; in fact, they work for room and board.   :D ]  And I bet a lot of the moms who are complaining could probably do it too.  After all, those yucky plates and sweaty socks didn't get that way on their own, did they? 

I'll leave you with a favorite mom-ism (at least at my house):

Whiners never get what they want.