Friday 13 April 2012

Once, twice, three times a lady

What is this? It's Hermione Granger's Time Turner (picture found here, explanation here). I'm a bit old for the Harry Potter books to be a part of my childhood, but the Big One and I read through every one at bedtime. Good memories.

Why this? This is what I need. I am trying, in my head at least, to live the lives of three different women. Three lives to be lived each day, and only one me to live them. I am aware that this is impossible. Which is why I constantly feel like I'm not achieving enough or doing enough or enjoying enough of any of these lives. If anyone knows of a muggle version of the Time Turner - other than having to spend hours on American time organisation 'mom' blogs - do let me know.
Who are these ladies?
One: I am raising three lovely boys, married to a lovely man, living in a lovely house. But you could fill a whole person's day with playing with the children, spending quality time with the husband, and going out for child-friendly activities. And the mundane refereeing between them, getting them ready, nappies, errands, general mothering. Then of course there's also being a good daughter, sister and friend. Add the phone calls you feel you ought to be making, the birthdays you need to be remembering...

Two: This house needs cleaning - four stories of vacuuming, cleaning, dusting, mopping, polishing. Food needs cooking, three times a day (sometimes more), for varying degrees of faddy eaters. Menus need planning, food needs buying. The house needs tidying, every day, often several times a day. Oh and don't forget the laundry and ironing. And the bigger house jobs, like the wall painting, the garden planting, the inbox sorting - they all apparently need doing one day...

Three: I want to start a business sewing. I am trying to sew as much as I can. One day I will get around to reading the sewing books I've bought. Then there's the business research, the online sewing tutorial and blog reading, the fabric hunting, the present making. You may have also noticed I like to write a blog about all the above. I could just write 'whatever' but I like to try my best, to write something worth reading. I like to research similar blogs online for inspiration and comparison. The time I spend online researching the things I don't get around to doing, oh my...

I am not over-exaggerating: these are three full-time ladies. Inside one me. The last few weeks have seen little blogging, partly due to the Easter holidays, but mainly due the paralysis felt when these three women can't get everything done! I don't want to compromise anywhere - they are all me. Oh someone tell me what to do!

5 comments:

  1. I'm right there with you! Although I read this post thinking 'my word you have so much to do' and then remembered that is pretty much my life too! I don't bother much with cleaning, our house is not dirty but it's far from immaculate. I/we do a big tidy up at the end of each day, my children are 2.5, 5 and 7 so I give the older 2 jobs to do, good life skills I'd say! I sew alot, 2 children go to school, I don't go to any toddler groups which I feel slightly guilty about, but I then remind myself that my mum never took us to any (did they exist all those years ago?) and I don't think that was a bad thing.
    I could go on but I won't (ok I will just for a bit) as I'm in the middle of quilting a quilt and would like to go to bed soon! But a few things to remember: you are not alone, there is no easy answer, the children will grow quickly and you will probably find more time to clean and cook and sew! Oh and another thing don't read any blogs written by 'supermum' she probably has a nanny/cleaner/cook or makes it all up! xx

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    1. I only pretend to clean! Or at least, I have it all planned out but am always at least 3 weeks behind and going slower all the time. Oh well... must remember that a clean house is a sign of unhappy children! Keep thinking that I can't wait for no.2 to go to nursery part time, but then remembering that I will look back on this time with them as so precious, and I mustn't wish it away. Anyway, thank you for giving me a little company in my over-stretched feelings (or whatever the right grammar is for that). x

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  2. My goodness you struck a chord today. I've been beating myself up about being lazy recently. Wondering at my inability to get anything done. But when I see part of my job description written out like that, no wonder.

    I have no answer. But I do try each day to do ONE thing that I WANT to, rather than feel that I must do. Helps a little when everything begins to feel like a chore.

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    1. Thank you, this is such good advice! And for telling me you feel lazy - you wouldn't know it from your blog, you always seem so productive!

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  3. Ah you are not alone! I know exactly how you feel. And I have many friends who also feel this way. Being a mother can be wonderful, but it can also be draining and dull and infuriating. There are times when you feel like you've signed up to a life of eternal frustration. All I can say is that for me these feelings come and go, and certainly as the children grow older I find that there is more room for the various side of me. And as for cleaning.... aaaarrrggghhh. Our house lurches from total tip to really quite presentable and every shade of dirty and disorganised in between. The top floor is where the real horrors lie - the girls' rooms are up there - and I simply don't go there if I can help it during the holidays!

    Charlotte (Charlotte's Plot - blogger doesn't like me and won't let me leave this if I try the open ID thing!)

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