Report Card Time

I've come to realize this motherhood and housekeeper thing (the two are distinctively different!) can be very defeating at times. And that's why I need to motivate myself with a report card (yes I was a goodie two shoe with straight A's until high school... those occasional B's really humbled me)!

When it comes to motherhood, I have for the most part, felt pretty good about it. I know I can't communicate with Jordan yet but he usually smiles if I gawk at him and usually is quite happy when I sing, read, or make funny faces at him. He seems to recognize my voice and I am the source of all food thus far... so no complaints right? Wrong...! It's when he has a rare occurrence of - I'm not happy no matter what you do - that really throws me off. When he's smiling one moment and projectile vomiting the next, leaving me without a towel or idea of how to clean it up with the least amount of potential damage. Or when he's not hungry but doesn't want to play and is still crying (we think teething but that could just be our excuse for not knowing how to appease him!) and he doesn't want to be put down either! Oh boy. The normal thoughts that occur at this point are ... what have I gotten myself into and how will I make it with more than one child?! and of course is it normal to still be in my jammies at 10 AM without brushing my teeth or putting on my contacts yet? interrupted by man am I hungry.. if only I could sneak away and get a bite to eat! If I gave myself a report card for motherhood, it would have a lot of suggestions for improvement but I would tell myself that staying positive is half the battle which I've managed to do so far by finding the joy and humor in everything, even the poop and the puke (I think I prefer poop.. the smell goes away after being wiped, as for the puke... it kinda lingers.... do you have to, do you have to let it linger.....Cranberries anyone?)

When it comes to housekeeping, I feel pretty good about it IF - OPERATIVE WORD - IF I have time but the whole motherhood thing really puts a kink in my routine for housekeeping. I'm normally loads behind (pun?) in laundry washing and folding (someone really needs to invent a machine that does that for you already and go on Shark Tank!), my sink never has room to refill my Brita and when I do attempt to clear it, I find myself stepping in my own self created puddles of dirty dishwater that has somehow managed to find its way to the floor, our living room is already overflowing with toys (I know he's a baby, but yes, he already has toys!), not to mention the pile of junk mail I have to sort through to find the real mail (if I get another credit card invitation because I've been pre-approved yet again.... ugh) that is a constant centerpiece on our dining table and the bathrooms that are still not getting their normal bi-weekly clean-up! If I gave myself a report card for housekeeping, it would say .... "prioritize and definitely needs improvement!"

Maybe I'm too harsh on myself (and maybe I'm fishing for some compliments while I'm at it...), but this whole self imposed report card consideration has got me thinking more and more that I should in fact give myself a periodic review. I got one in the workplace (which btw, is so much easier than this motherhood and housekeeping thing, hands down without a doubt!) and I was able to find ways to improve and was rewarded for it through both positive affirmation from co-workers and superiors as well as compensation, so why shouldn't I give myself one now that this is my full time job? Just because I chose to be a mother, doesn't mean I'm not held to any standard and should be working towards being more efficient and effective (key phrases from the work world). So I decided to do that. And I also decided to give myself a little reward if I do well and do find myself getting better at accomplishing what seems like way too much in way too little time.

I know Jordan sometimes spontaneously vomits... what can I do to ensure the victims (him, me, the couches, the carpet, anything in his path at the time of vomit) are safe? The answer... more towels! Towels here, towels there, towels everywhere! I know Jordan only sleeps for an hour to two for naptime durign the day, so how can I maximize these spurts of time and finish my housekeeping chores? Good-bye Facebook, good-bye Pinterest, that will do, good-bye to you! With the time I waste on you, I could be doing so much more - it's true!

Alas, report card in my life to stay. Report card in my life today.

Report card time!