Monday, February 11, 2013

Stay at Home


Well, Scarlett is sick. And please don't remind me that we seem to get sick a lot. I am aware of that.
It kind of hurts my feelings when people say that, to be quite honest. It leaves me feeling like they're hinting that something is lacking in the care of our family. I feed my children well (with the occasional exception on my very tired days, haha!), we avoid mingling with sickish people--though not to the point of paranoia--and my children get as much sleep as they'll have. Far be it from me to steal any sleep from them!
So it just happens sometimes.

Scarlett was cranky today, just a little more than her usual complaints against Ender's big-brother-teasings. Judging her needs, I had her take two naps today. Still, in the evening, she wanted to snuggle with me. When she rested her head on me, I kissed the bridge of her nose (a favorite spot on her cute face) and noticed she was burning with a fever (it was 100.2 last I checked). Poor thing. I gave her some apple juice, which she gulped down with a crazy fervor, and she sat in my lap resting for a very long time.
Even though I feel sorry for my kids when they're sick, I love to take advantage of the pause it gives them and cuddle them and encourage them to rest. When they're sick, they finally hold still! I can gaze at them longer, hold them longer and even get more rest for myself once in a while if they can manage to be quiet and still. The home feels somewhat peaceful despite the worry and concern.


After an evening of flopping around on us, Scarlett seemed to get a burst of energy during FHE and squirmed off Michael's lap to toddle over to Ender and me. Suddenly, she threw up. It was a surprise for all of us, especially her. She seemed frightened by the experience. I'm glad we were able to clean everything up quickly, and she actually really enjoyed her bath.

I don't know why I write about things like that sometimes. I just feel like writing, and I feel like writing about something that is a very ordinary home-life thing. My life is wonderful, but that doesn't mean every day would be fascinating for anyone. Is this what people call Mommy Blogging? A kind of daily drivel that serves mainly as an outlet for a mom who's at home so much of the time?

That's what it often is for me. I need it. As lame as it might seem, on the face of it all, this is often my biggest connection with the world outside my house. My world is little. I have very good friends, but we don't hang out that often. I go to church (across the street). I go to the grocery store (up the street). I go to the library (a little farther up the street). The gym is just around the corner. Every now and then, we go out to eat or make a trip to campus all together. Sometimes we even go to the mall (a little farther up the street than the library).
It's not depressing, but it's not a wild life by any means.

Today, I made quiche for dinner. Throughout the day, I grated cheese, chopped spinach, crumbled bacon and made pie crusts. Dinner happened all day. I also folded and put away some laundry. I helped the kids with stuff...it's always hard to recall just how that took as much time as it did, but they kept me busy. Making messes, bothering each other, doing their chores, wanting food.
I checked my email here and there, a bit bored with everything Internet since it didn't seem to have anything to offer. Pinterest looked the same as always, my inbox was droolingly empty, and Blogger had nothing going on. Aaaaand...that's actually all I really get into online!
My phone got stupid and wouldn't text but ate up its battery anyway, and since I had no texting fanciness going on, I didn't feel motivated to charge it.
The day wasn't a bad one, but it was an oddly paced one.

I wonder how long Scarlett will be sick. :(
Maybe it's a good thing we have nothing planned this week.
Not even for Thursday...the 14th...of February...

It almost feels like this is the kind of thing "Mommy Bloggers" avoid writing about. Who wants to!
...besides me, that is. :)
I just really like writing. Not so much to "hear my own voice," if you know what I mean, but to write. To think past the confines of my skull (sorry, I'm not pretending that's poetic, it just kind of came out cheesy like that).

I guess I'm sort of apologizing for making a "report" of nothing very eventful while at the same time not feeling very sorry because it just feels good to talk about things.
To make sure you realize this is not me complaining about being a stay-at-home-mom, here's a happy picture:

We are indeed in our jammies. In the daytime.  It's one of the perks of my "job." :)

4 comments:

  1. Just wanted you to know that I love following your blog. Even on the days that probably don't seem eventful to you, it is different and sometimes frighteningly similar and I love to read it either way. To see what other stay-at-home mommies do and to feel like I am not going through it alone. Love you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Chela! That means a lot to me. Love you too.

      Delete
  2. That was all very nicely put and I feel like adding an "Amen" or something. And I feel the same way when my kids are sick. It is the ONLY time they will cuddle with me. So I hate it and worry about them and wonder how long it is going to last, and then I cuddle with them in front of the TV for a while and relish the fact that they will let me hold them and want it to last just a little bit longer. Motherhood is weird like that sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think if everyday your kids were well you mentioned it to someone everyone would always talk about how well your kids are all the time. People tend to focus on negatives though so just ignore them (I know it's hard and I feel the same way when all my kids are sick.) I love the way you write. It has so much heart in it. I lost the heart from my blog a long time ago and feel like it's just a boring list I have to keep up out of some crazy obligation to future generations... I think I'm going to change it this year...good thing I'm so far behind...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks! My blog is blah-g without your feedback!