7 Posts 7 Days: Why This is a Bad Idea

24 February 2014

Here we are at the beginning of the week that Jen has dubbed Brace Yourselves: We're Writing 7 Posts in 7 days but perhaps we should just call it: "The week we all try to do what Grace does every week."

I always want to blog more. And there are all kinds of reasons why I don't. Sometimes I can't get to it. Sometimes it seems like there's nothing to document. Sometimes the words just don't come. I'm sure there will never be a good week for me to blog more, but this week is far far far from a good week.

Right now in general:

Still a newish mother of two.
Jacob is working virtually all the time.
We are in the early stage of potty training our oldest little person.
We're batting at about a .200 when it comes to toddler naps.

This week in particular:

Lucy June is (finally) getting baptized on Sunday.
Jacob's brother and a friend from LA are visiting on Friday.
Jacob's mom and sister are coming into town for the weekend.
My parents, grandmother, and sister are all coming into town for the weekend.
We're having a party on Sunday afternoon.

So why? Why am I doing this to myself?? There are a few reasons:

1) When life is already crazy what's a little more craziness. Blogging won't really add much to the hectic meter this week because we're pretty much at max, so what's a little more, am I right? I'm a firm believer that you get more done when you have less time.

2) Sometimes I lock the door when I go to the bathroom. Even though blogging isn't perhaps as essential as bathroom time, I still really value it and I feel just fine about occasionally making myself less present to my family so I can accomplish it.

3) It's a gift to myself. Friday is my birthday (add that to my list up there, yo) and I want to give myself this gift. Whenever I make sure my kitchen is really clean or sweep my floors before bed, I do it because I know how much I'll appreciate myself for it come morning. I look at my dirty kitchen and I say: give yourself this gift. And I repeat that through the drudgery that is late night dishwashing. And it never fails. When I wake up to that clean kitchen or that swept floor, when first thing in the morning I can actually see the chair that used to be a mountain of laundry, I'm so grateful to my productive late night self that I could cry. And sometimes I do. This Friday I want to toast my Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday self, and say, "You're Awesome Sauce." Or I won't say that because I'm pretty sure that's just plain stupid, but I will drink a margarita just for her.

But how will I do it? Well my original plan was to wake up early (ACK!!? Wake up before the babies when they don't let you sleep at night??? I know. I know. Too hopeful?) Lucy June, fitful sleeper that she is, will often doze in till a hefty 9am and Jake isn't allowed to come out of his room till his Christmas Lights come on at a mildly generous 7am (God bless outlet timers.) I figured 6-7am was my money shot. So this morning I carefully rolled away from my infant at 6:05, brushed my teeth, and sat down to write. Four lines later, the whole family was awake. Lucy June was squealing her "Not 100% happy" noises from her solo post in the bed while Jacob was tending to the potty trainer who was reveling in his bathroom-only words and shouting "Pooty Booty" on repeat from his own little plastic throne.

Why why why did this happen you ask? I don't know...Motherhood is magical.

I will try again tomorrow. I wasn't planning on trying again. At 6:15 when I was trying to nurse Lucy June back down and ready to forego predawn wake ups forever, Jacob came back in the bedroom and I told him I was sorry that I'd ruined our last hour of sleep and that I wasn't going to bother with early morning writing again. And then in the pale light of morning, my sleep deprived husband, who speaks love in ruthless ironies, proceeded to give me a hard time for giving up after one day... because he's a prince, and he loves it when I get chances to do stuff that I love. And if that isn't just the most inspiring thing. So he will be the reason that I get up early again tomorrow.

And for today we're going with Plan B.



Because the kids



both of them



can't help themselves. And I can't either.

(And, yes. I did have to look up how to calculate a batting average. I love you, big bro.)

8 comments :

  1. I'm tempted to try the 7 posts in 7 days myself, but we'll see. I don't want to jinx myself. ;) Somehow the busier I get the more I want to blog so I totally understand where you're coming from! And no stress, Curious George is the best.

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  2. hahha

    I love this and am SO excited for 7 posts from my favorite blogher.

    I feel like a spoiled glutton ..... don't let me down.

    And can Lucy teach Theo to like screens?? He's failed me ........... hard.

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  3. Aww man, tv is plan B?!?! I skipped allllll the way over plan A then...

    ps. i lock the door when I am in the bathroom and *sometimes* stay in there an extra 2 minutes! I'm glad I am not alone in this little vay-cay

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  4. I have been giving nada gifts to myself, so as a result she and I have not been on friendly terms as of late. You're such a good friend to have in yourself.

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  5. Ha! I've tried getting up "before" my kids so many times. And each time I've failed. But I have confidence in you! You can do it! I'm sure it's just my kids who have an innate superpower sense of knowing as soon as I step out of my bed and commence screaming!

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  6. I had a rough day today and then I read this post. I love it. I love all your posts but somehow these most recent ones make me appreciate how everyone faces challenges--even if those challenges are very different. It feels like long distance camaraderie...or something. Anyways, I am excited for the 7 posts in 7 days!

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  7. Haha! I totally missed that that even was a batting average on my first read. I hope, hope, hope the getting up thing works better for you tomorrow and ever after. I never ever thought I would do the wake up early thing because I LOVE to sleep in. Now I cannot function properly if I don't get up at 5:30. It's still very weird to me that this is true, but I actually no longer like sleeping in almost never do it even when I get the chance. My kids do (usually, mostly) sleep through the night though. If I ever have another baby I may need to reevaluate the early waking… Good luck with your week!

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  8. I bet haven't had the long-stares like your two turtles in those cute piccies. Quick quick, get on your bike.
    I feel your pain. IT. NEVER. ENDS. and just when your think you have a weekend, you don't really. x

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