stay-at-home mom

There is no normal. Just ask Rosie.

All week I’ve been telling myself I didn’t have time to blog this week because I have company coming on Friday.

Now that may sound funny to some of you who have achieved home perfection, but rest assured, even after preparing all week, there will be no home perfection. But yes, if company is happening on Friday, it takes me all week to get ready for that, especially Wednesday through Friday.

I went to Home Goods yesterday and bought this rug and blue chair. This was an accomplishment because not only did I pick them out, but I got brought them home by myself, even with all my arthritis. I once had a doctor tell me I really shouldn’t be lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk, so the fact that I’m still okay today makes me quite happy.

My solution to this was, “After Friday, I can blog again, and everything will be calmed down and back to normal.”

Haahahahahahahaha

Does life truly ever calm down? Maybe for a minute or two. Maybe. But I already am tracking the next life stressor, as all good and bad events bring some sort of stress.

That’s when I realized how silly I’ve been to put off working on something I enjoy because “things are busy right now,” and they are truly hectic. It was the first week of school, first week of youth group, first week of Awana club, and I’m still figuring out how to arrange everything in this new house, besides all the mess and work created by 6 people. Since company is coming, our current level of tidiness (or lack thereof) simply will not do.

This house must be cleaned and decorated so that we can fool people into thinking we have our acts together!! Ahem. I mean so we can make our guests comfortable, yes, of course, that’s what I meant.

I told Alan I would eat all of his Mike and Ike’s if he didn’t hang wall art last night and vacuum the living room this morning. haha! I’m kidding. No, I did actually insist that he do those things, but I only ate the Mike and Ike’s because he offered them to me. I did not demand them. I normally despise Mike and Ike’s, but he bought these sour ones which were surprisingly satisfying.

No matter how much I am able to improve our house, tonight will be fun, people will eat food, and life will go busily on next week as usual.

Only there is no usual, not really.

Rosie knows there’s no normal here. Why be normal when you can be super?

There’s always something going on for everyone, not just us. Everyone is busy with something. There are surgeries, health scares, new jobs, new schools, baseball games, solo parenting weeks, exams, holidays, conflicts, plans that don’t work out, plans that do, etc., etc. Life is never la la la happy-go-lucky for long. Normal? There is no normal.

With that said, I might as well sit down and blog for a bit. Read the book. Bake the cake. Run. Go ahead and squeeze in that thing you enjoy. You’re going to have to sit down and recover at some point anyway. Life is short. Make time for the good stuff, right?

Thanks for reading, y’all. It makes me so happy when people bother to read my blog. I hope you all manage to make time for the things you enjoy doing today, even if it’s just watching Downton Abbey.

Happy Friday!

“Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingnesss is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

~2Corinthians 8:11-12

aprilmomoffour

April is an upbeat, Christian, blog-obsessed, military wife, and home schooling mom of four little boys. She writes about education, travel, and humorous adventures in parenting. Follow along if you’d like a little bit of encouragement and a whole lot of crazy.

View Comments

  • I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one that cleans for days and days before company and still feels ill prepared 😭. You have a better excuse than me since you have younger children at home. We stay pretty busy but I just can’t ever seem to get my act completely together 😂 Hope you can relax and enjoy your company once they’re there ❤️

  • Hey I love the rug and chair!! I just got a new rug yesterday, but now I am on the hunt for a chair. Stay tuned....

    Your sweet Rosie looks like a delight! Eddie is going to be a taco this year and is going to look that thrilled too :)

  • Love your honesty, and yes... there is always “something”’either happening right now or you are planning for the “next thing”. I agree. Just take the time to do a few things that you enjoy. I hope we can come for a visit again soon, but no cleaning for us. 😂😂😂

  • "if the willingnesss is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has" ~Truth

  • Hi April, not that we often have people over, but I'm the other way. I don't overly spruce the house when we do (to my Mums dismay), but it's just not me. Your house does look immaculate though, which is impressive given the children and Rosie... You're right, life is always busy in one way or another. There are always things to do, but we must make time for a little down time, time to do something we enjoy. I hope you have a fantastic time with your visitors... Rosie has it sussed, there really is no 'normal'!

    xx

    • Oh well I should feed up I only photographed the room I had made over. There is currently still a wrecked kitchen and a somewhat cluttered den. And let’s not even talk about the rooms I don’t expect the guests to visit. I only clean the main floor.

  • The living room looks wonderful! You got this, Girl. You are a natural entertainer. Enjoy tonight. Let them enjoy some of your "normal. " I am sure they will identify. Enjoy this weekend and your fixed up house. Will be praying for your long 2 weeks coming up.

    • Thank you. That brought tears to my eyes. At least today is favorite part, the cooking. I’m making lasagna, salad, and Coca Cola cake. I cheated and bought the sister Schubert rolls and a pie. We can’t do everything. 😁

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