Exactly six weeks ago I was driving my car and talking to my kids about their falling grades and sagging attitudes. I had to admit that I, too, was not quite myself in the home-stretch of waiting for our home to be built. My kiddos, who are usually good students, were seeing their second-quarter grades drop into oblivion. They both admitted that they could do better, and they just hadn’t been putting forth the effort like they used to. I in turn admitted that I hadn’t been doing all my “mom duties” like I used to either. I let stress wear me down, almost to the point of illness again. My purpose-driven-ness got put on autopilot, and many of my own “Oh-no-I-WON’Ts” morphed into “Oh-what-the-hells.” It was a rough autumn, to say the least.
My own parents are Super-Heroes for taking us all in. For four solid months I did not cook, clean, wash laundry or make a bed. I think I only fed my dogs twice in all that time. Knowing how hard it was for all of us to be without permanent residence, my mom made good-and-sure that we were spoiled like last week’s fruit. I vocalized only once, but secretly feared for at least two months, that I would completely forget how to maintain a household. (I love you, Mom!)
We moved in to our new house on December 7, and though we were so glad to have our own place, I wondered if I would actually find my feet again in my new kitchen and utility room. I am pleased to say that I have.
Baby Girl was sick the entire first week after our move, and while I felt I really needed to be at work, the cosmos and my husband felt otherwise and set me straight pretty quickly. As the Hubster pointed out, “She is sick. She needs to stay home and rest. And, you have more sick time than I do.” Point taken. So in between reading to Vic and checking for fever, I unpacked a box or two and then decided we were going to need to eat, and if I had anything to say about it, we were NOT eating more fast food. (Yes – I had regressed THAT far!) I pulled out the dutch oven, washed off the summer’s storage dust, and proceeded to make Red Beans and Sausage. Then I whipped up some olive mix, made muffalettas and baked a whole chicken in my sparkly new-fangled oven. I’m sharing all this to express my surprise that my domestic abilities have not faded with the season.
I bet I could still ride a bike if I tried! But it’s rainy and cold, and I’m a weather wimp, so that experiment will have to wait.