Sunday, January 25, 2009

choice

I've been thinking a lot lately about choices, excuses, and balancing all the things I WANT to do along with all the things I SHOULD do. I have a lot of ideas in my head - some useful, some useful probably only for me (which includes my sanity, as well as actual practical applications), many just plain frivolous.

I have been known - a long LONG time ago, very far away in the past - to make excuses for things. 'I would have done XYZ, but I was curing your salmon.' Roger got a lot of backhanded heat. My excuses were pretty much habit - I wasn't consciously trying to blame him, I just had gotten in the habit of not taking responsibility for my own choices. (Just for the record, according to Rog I have made great strides in this area as far as pushing the blame on him goes.)

More recently I had some painting hanging over my head to finish the remodeling in the living room. The door have been built for months, but I didn't get around to painting them. And it was the kids' fault. 'There just isn't a window of time long enough to get it done.' Admittedly, things require more planning to get accomplished now that I have three little helpers. But it's all about asset allocation. I thought this post on CJane Enjoy It explained the 'problem' well. Kari had a good one on this topic too. Yes, children change what I can do in a given time. So sometimes I need to choose to let some things go. Things might not ALL get done, or be done to a different level, but it's still my choice, and it's no one's fault. It's just a choice.

It is certainly more of an adventure to get out the door with 3 in my posse, but it's my choice to get things together and do it, or just be a potato and stay at home and whine about how I can't go anywhere because I have small children.

Thanks to Disney, and Roger, and Oma, and Kat making different choices, the cupboard doors are now painted. The laundry will be done again. The house will be picked up again, and Katie and Alex will detox from their movie overload. Now I guess I have to stop whining about not exercising. And I will need a reminder occasionally that it is a CHOICE to let the glass business rest for a season . . .

In case you're wondering, today's choice is pajamas, Bambi, hot chocolate and laundry.

4 comments:

Mia said...

One of the reasons I love you and your blog so much is the way you think, and share your thoughts with others. I really do have to accept the choices I choose, or chose to make different choices. Great post. And just so you know I am sure the kids and Rog missed you way more than they let on!

Disco Mom said...

Sigh. You sound motivated. Together. It's 8:18pm and I'm still in my pajamas from last night/this morning/all day. No, my kids weren't sick. No reason, really. We just never left the house or got much of anything done except catching up on blog reading. I guess I did some laundry. Way to be a grown-up. Mostly now I'm depressed about how CJaneEnjoy's blog post got 200 comments. Don't know why there's self-esteem stock in blog comments, but sigh.

kat said...

thanks mia. you're too kind. i'm really trying to psych myself up to be active about the choices i can make, instead of whining about the stuff i 'can't' do right now.

go kari! we were ALL in pjs all day long. except for rog. he chose pants. go rog.

i also think it's funny how esteem goes along with comments. cjane has 200 comments because she got some serious advertising. you still always beat me on the comments tally - count that!

and i mailed your b-day present today. i hope you like it, since this is the one time a decade you score a present from me! :)

Betty Grace said...

Wait- you mean it is MY fault for not exercising?