Everything's Not Perfect

I'm tired of blogging about how everything's wonderful and perfect and whatnot. I know that there are family members who may read this blog, but I can't worry about that today. I'm frustrated today and I need to vent and I should probably wait until I'm out for a late lunch with my friend and I should probably get off my butt and do the things I'm about to complain about because I *am* getting to go to lunch with my friend, but I don't feel like it. I don't want to. I want to complain about how after two weeks of school, we've fallen right back into the mode of "mom-does-everything." Mom cleans the house, does the dishes, does the laundry, figures out dinner (most nights these days), runs children to and fro, makes sure Chris is up for seminary, makes sure homework is done, packs the lunches, cleans up the breakfast dishes, etc., etc.,etc. If you're a mom, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

But that doesn't mean that I have to like it. Summer is over. I'm back at work and I can't do it all. I don't have Thursday morning to go shopping and Monday morning for a "weekly home blessing hour." I have Saturday. That's it. Saturday. Saturday is a special day; it's the day we get ready for Sunday. Well, that's just great except that whoever wrote that song didn't work full-time outside the home.

Two weeks ago we had a FHE all about the new schedule and how we would all be back in school--including MOM and Dad. Specifically Mom. We set up a chore schedule for Saturday morning. If everyone does one or two things, then we can get it done in an hour or less and have the rest of the day to do whatever we want. It worked great--last Saturday. However, Saturday is also shopping day. And if you don't go before 9:00, it takes FOREVER to get out of the store. So, no chores were begun until I got home from shopping (because, of course, the only one who can tell everyone to do their chores is ME), but we got them all done and it was nice.

This morning, I got up extra early. That's okay; I'm a morning person really anyway. I did the shopping (spending less than my budget, tyvm) and got home to find--husband asleep in the chair at the computer, oldest son asleep in his bed, and two little boys who were clamboring for breakfast. Ok, so it was only 8:30, but still...Chris has a car wash for orchestra, James has karate, Richard plans to go back up to school to do all those things he can't get done during a regular day, and John...well, John has nothing at this point.

So, I'm putting up groceries and woke up Richard. (Yes, it was kinda-sorta on purpose. I did drop those can on the counter a little louder than I really had to. Passive-aggressive much?) He comes out and helps put some stuff away in the garage fridge. I put away the rest while John runs around getting cereal. Then I start cleaning up the breakfast dishes from when Richard awoke the first time this morning. Then James wants waffles. Uh...no waffles. Chris ate the last yesterday. Did I know this before I went shopping? No. Ugh. So he gets cereal and promptly dumps the bowl (cereal and milk) on himself. He cried and laughed. I cried and laughed. I wanted to be so mad, but it was so comical. So he cleaned himself up and I cleaned up the mess on the table, chair and floor. Chris and John are playing pool and Richard's back at the computer. His back is really hurting him this morning--again.

So...I'm left to wonder how much a cleaning service would cost. Just every other week even. It's not something I budgeted for. Maybe I'll try doing one thing every afternoon (except Tuesday which is crazy day.) And I'll keep doing everyone's laundry and planning meals and doing dishes and getting people up for school because I'm the mom. Yep...I'm the mom. I know it comes with the territory.

I guess I just wish that every once in a while someone else would remember that they have jobs in this house too. I know it's my job to teach them, but that's not what this particular posting is about. It's about me and my frustration today. It'll be better tomorrow, I'm sure. And I'm done worrying about it. If the house doesn't get dusted today, oh well. If it doesn't get vacuumed today, maybe later in the week. I may just get up and Swiffer this room though. It's easy and smells good afterward. (May I recommend Swiffer with Febreze? Ahhhh.) And if Richard's lucky, I just might put the sheets back on the bed today.