Thursday, February 4, 2010

my manifesto

Taking care of the people in this house is my priority.  Not cleaning.  Not cooking.  Not laundry.  Holding a baby, feeding a baby, walking back and forth with a sad baby, reading the entire internet while nursing two babies through a growth spurt...even if that's all I do all day, it still counts as getting something done.  Lounging on the sofa with my toddler is also getting something done.  Taking a nap is most certainly getting something done; napping with a baby is getting two things done at once.  If it's a choice between making dinner and having a happy quiet afternoon, I'm not making dinner; frozen pizza is five dollars well spent.  Television isn't the greatest thing in the world for a toddler, but it's a lot better than any alternative I can come up with for those times when both babies are insane and I need to help them through that somehow.  Likewise, it's totally not ideal for one of the babies to spend half the day in the swing, but when there isn't a workable alternative then that's the way it has to be and there's no use getting too upset about it.  Let me re-emphasize that for my own sake:  it does not matter how much something sucks (Joseph doesn't have enough playdates, the dogs spend all day outside, a baby is sometimes left to cry while I deal with somebody else's needs, the bathrooms are gross, etc) because if it's the best we're capable of then that's all there is. 

OK, now I feel better.

6 comments:

Ponce Family said...

Karen,

I have been reading and immensely enjoying your blog. Your writing is so fine and you are amazing. I am thinking about you and your family. I will write soon.

Jamie Blair said...

I give this post a big thumbs up!

Theresa said...

I think you're getting TONS done! And you're right, taking care of those babies is way more important than the bathroom any day. *HUGS*

Not Hannah said...

Preach it, my sister.

Anonymous said...

i couldnt agree more.

i think we all have similar manifestos that can change from time to time. tuesday my five year old stayed in her nightgown and played video games all day while i packed. really, all day.

oh and fyi: publix has tombstone pizzas on sale this week for $2.99. its like half off! just sayin'.

Anonymous said...

Amen! (I especially love the bit about napping. Naps are work, at least for me.)