Answers to questions/ The Ugly Truth

I bought Matthew and Andrew's aprons here. (Click on the word "here" for the link). It was last year though, so the styles have probably changed a bit. But it looks like she still carries them. If you haven't found Etsy yet, oh my. Block out an hour before you look at that website. It'll suck you in. So many talented people in the world. A note on the aprons though. They are nice quality however, they are small. Meaning short. My kids are quite tall and so I'd ask for the measurements before ordering them and see what you think, but I'd look for something bigger if I were to do it again.

(I have permission to share the next part). About Dan's weight loss. He's under less stress than he used to be, and he's also worked hard at eating less and making healthier choices. No program, etc. I haven't cooked differently. (We eat relatively healthy. Could do better, could do worse). But I'm really proud of him. He looks fantastic, but most of all, he's healthy and that's all I care about.

The other thing, is that I've received some very kind emails and comments lately which are soooo nice. As a stay at home mom we don't get that annual performace review/raise/pat on the back. "Wow! That toilet really sparkles!" :) The occasional comment from strangers in stores/restaurants commenting on the children's behavior is really nice (I do also get "the look" too on our bad days). And Dan is good about saying nice things, but it is always so uplifting to get a word of praise or encouragement. Caring for the children and our home is my "job" and I work really hard at it, so the compliments really fill my cup.

I did want to make sure though that I'm not portraying myself to be something I'm not or especially make others feel that they should be doing more than they are. So here's the ugly truth.

The question of where do I find the time to do some of the things that I do? I don't sleep as much as I should. I rarely watch tv. If I do watch tv I'm always doing something else at the same time. Unless I'm exhausted. Like last night, I was so tired I just laid on the sofa, ate ice cream and watched The Office and 30 Rock with Dan. (The Office is the one show I try not to miss each week. Dan and I think it's so funny). But the week before birthdays and holidays I usually average 6hrs of sleep a night. Not really enough. Dan says I'm a work a holic, and I'm trying to get better about it. It's not a good thing, and it's not healthy...I'd like to set a more balanced example for my children. It's one of my many flaws that I have that I'm working on. I'm really trying to observe the Sabbath and rest on Sunday--it's a start.

The other thing that helps me stay organized is just having a weekly routine of doing meal planning, shopping, errands, laundry, and cleaning on the same days. I know what to expect and it keeps me from falling too far behind on the day to day stuff. I'm not always on track (life happens) but I try to follow it as much as possible because it makes a big difference.

That being said, I always DO feel behind though. I'm never caught up. There's always something else that should be tended to. For example, I've been piling things on the bonus room built in that I don't have time to get to. We'll come across something and I'll say "put it in the bonus room." It's awful. (Pictures that need to be organized, misc. 'stuff')...I'm going to tackle it this summer, as soon as I have time. We're still doing the house clean out but haven't made it to that area yet. (Linen closet/guest room this weekend!) And I haven't processed photos in so long that I'm completely overwhelmed by it and can't even start. They're just sitting on my hard drive. And my desk seems to attract piles. I have to figure out a better system for managing things there, but I won't bore you with all of the outstanding projects in our house. You get the point.

So dear friends, thank you so much for the sweet words, they made me feel so good! But now you know the ugly truth!!