7/17/10

blah

life is hectic during the summer. constantly trying to keep everyone occupied, happy, NOT fighting is draining the heck out of me. mostly i just want to walk around with ear plugs in and blinders on so i can just ignore the ugly. the girls are getting on each others nerves which leads to the constant bickering which leads to a crazy mama who can't wait to go to WORK!!! i've let all my OCD's go...messy house, fine. shizzzola everywhere, fine. puppy food on the floor, fine. dried cocoa butter on the counter, fine. dust, fine. it's ALL fine. don't care anymore. ok. i'm totally lying about caring. it kills me but i am learning in my old age that i just.can't.control.EVERYTHING!

i let my dining room become an art studio for the girls for three whole days. paint on the floor, feathers, glitter, pom poms, sequins....all over the place. i didn't care. know why? every time things got a little rough around here i didn't send them to their rooms or a time-out. i sent them to the dining room. where they'd pick up a paint brush and create. the tension, the nastiness, the fighting all stopped. kind words were used, encouragement given, smiles to be had. an experiment gone good. all the negative energy evaporates when making something beautiful or even not so beautiful ;)

c-ya

7 comments:

Karen said...

Love it -- I need to follow that example a lot more!

Laura said...

I hear ya on the FIGHTING...it is ALL DAY LONG

before ya know it, we'll be back to packing those damn lunches....

wait...where the heck is the FUN???????????

Laura said...

I'm back...come on over and comment..I have a great give away I think you would like!

Kristen said...

We have the same summer problem at my house. I might have to try out your idea.
Lotsa Love,
Kristen

patty said...

i love your approach. i used to make excuses for folks visiting, and then i decided, know what? i'm living life, not cleaning house. this will wait. it always does.

Anonymous said...

You know what you've got to do, Pam, when you look around the house and every thing and every person seems out of sorts? Go outside and watch your family and your home through the windows. Something magical happens when you assume the presence of an outsider. Where you used to see dirt and dust you now see home...and a beautiful home at that. Where you used to see little girls on the edge of losing it you now see their energy and flying curls and color. And where you might have looked at your husband and wondered if you disappointed him with your lapse in CONTROL you'll see contentment. ...at least that's how it is for me. When my life seems to fragment into all of the things undone and I feel myself failing I pour a nice glass of wine and watch my home from the outside, through a stranger's eyes, and remind myself just how wonderful it all is.
Stefanie

Shannon said...

good for you! these things are so hard to let go of..i'm practicing that, too. i find that i always feel better when i let go of being rigid and find ways to relax about things. seriously...does it matter that there's dog hair on the floor when I'm getting to play and connect and share and love and grow and spend time with my sweet little boy? in the end, i'll choose a messy house over spending all of my energy cleaning, and not truly enjoying the present moment.