Category: Jenny is neurotic

I’ve seen some inspiring posts where female bloggers challenge their readers to “get real” by showing a picture of themselves first thing in the morning, before shower, hair, makeup, and all the other magic tricks we use to put ourselves together.

Well. This is not one of those posts, per se. No way in h-e-doublehockeysticks are y’all ever seeing me without makeup. But here is something else I am ashamed of, that I’d like you to take a look at. It’s my living room (complete with two pajama-clad TV watching zombie children):

and my dining room:

These photos are a very good representation of what my house looks like every day (except for the living room usually has a bunch of train track on the floor also.) Now before you get the idea that I am a lazy piece of crap, let me tell you that I do try. I make a to-do list every day and it almost always includes cleaning and sweeping these rooms. And you know what? Almost every day, I DO IT!! But by the next morning, it looks like the above pictures.

Sometimes it kills me when I am cleaning those rooms, because I already know what it will look like 15 seconds minutes after I am done.

I hate housework. I really am the world’s worst housekeeper. It is something that I struggle with every day and sometimes I only do it because I don’t want to live in filth. I never do it because it is my “job” or I want to or I want to be a good steward of the wonderful home God has given me. I do it because it has to be done. But do I put everything in its place after the kids go to bed? Do I follow them around all day picking up every toy after they have used it? Do I make them pick up before bed?

No.

I am the world’s worst housekeeper.

And I am trying to make myself believe that it’s ok. Because people, I am just never gonna be Suzy Homemaker. If I try to aspire to that, I will just fail again and again and again. Imperfection just fits me a little more comfortably than my Suzy H. costume.

So I guess by posting about my shame, I’m hoping to help myself feel better about it. Does that make any sense at all?

So my friends, I showed you mine, now will you show me yours?

Let’s decide together that it’s ok to do the best we can. Let’s decide that posting pictures of our messy houses is the NEW BLACK! Solidarity, sisters! Go take a picture of your mess, post it on your blog, and leave your link in the comments.
Or just leave me a comment and tell me I am totally awesome despite my myriad imperfections.

Either way. 🙂

Last week while on vacation in Virginia I got to witness a phenomenon I have been unfamiliar with for awhile: the teenage girl. I mean, sure, I used to be one, but it’s been um, a long time. So I think it is safe to say I hadn’t been in that frame of mind for awhile.

Our best friends went with us on vacation, and their 14-year-old daughter Krisha brought a 16-year-old friend, Kierstin. I have spent quite a bit of time with Krisha, but to see two teens in action was really something. They stayed up ’til 2, slept ’til noon, had water fights, made brownies, and texted their brains out (many times to each other when they were two feet away.) They laughed and giggled and screamed and danced and always had one more thing to do before we could get out the door to go anywhere.

One morning, or actually afternoon, as they stumbled sleepily down the hall after nearly sleeping until lunch time, I felt a confusing pang of jealousy hit me like a hammer. Jealous? Why would I be jealous? “Who wants to go back to their teenage years?” I asked myself. “The angst, the hormones, the social jockeying, the identity crises? No thanks.”

Yet somehow, I couldn’t talk myself out of envying them. Maybe I’m viewing history with rose-colored glasses, but I remember my teenage years as being pretty carefree. I saw in Krisha and Kierstin the things I used to have and be and do (minus the texting) when I was their age. I miss the sleeping in, the eating whatever I want, the not having bills to pay. I love being a wife and a mother – the blessings God has given me are boundless – but at times I tire of having the weight of such an important responsibility on my shoulders. I can’t say I feel that way every minute of every day, but at that moment, the Fabulous Life of Krisha and Kierstin (which should tootally be a Disney Channel show) looked pretty darn good. I mean, I don’t want to shop at Hollister or anything but sleeping in once in awhile and not having a checkbook would be grreeeaat.

So. There it is. Another one of my numerous flaws. Anyone else wanna move back in with mom and dad and catch rides to the mall?