Ditzy Ladee

I will admit that, despite my claim that I have bad luck, sometimes (okay, often) bad luck is just due to my own stupid ditzy-ness. Take for example the frustration I've dealt with recently surviving on one, yes 1 (!!), baby spoon. I pack Little One all up with bibs, lovingly made baby food, a nice bottle, toys etc. for when she goes a visiting the relatives. And I'm sure they secretly hoard the spoons and refuse to give them back to us. Maybe they re-purpose them as plant markers, or just keep them for when I'll inevitably drop the child off sans spoon and they'll be unable to feed her due to her adorable cutsie little mouth and the gigantic big human spoons that us adults use....I'm sure that's it. Either way the spoon fairies never return my precious spoons and so I purposed to buy an extra pack to complement the ONE lone spoon I've been begrudgingly rewashing 3 times a day, always dried and caked with horrid banana mush or some such stubborn nastiness. You know how it goes: Feed baby. Baby done. Baby spitting it all back at you. Wail as banana gets lodged in eyelashes. Remove child from feeding apparatus. Hold child haphazardly over sink and sufficiently pour water over child to remove mush/food from ears, hair, eyebrows etc. Remove useless bib from child. Relocate to living room/changing area. Change stanky diaper and keep said child from rolling stank onto the carpet all whilst demonstrating to-no-one-in-particular excellent, no professional, one handed diaper changing skills. Breathe. Play and show overflowing love to child. Fold laundry whilst that Child explores the dust bunnies that you haven't gotten to yet. Listen for unique tired sounds. Wipe dust bunnies from snot and drool infested face. Place child in crib. Cover your sleeping beauty and realize you love that adorable little rug rat. Ponder how true that term is. Rug. Rat. Nod in understanding. Go sit at the computer and pretend to be productive whilst drinking a cuppa coffee and regrouping. Wail....(has it been an hour and a half already?). Get up lovable happy very awake baby and start process all over again.

EXCEPT .... Now you have to go in search of a clean spoon. Fruitless searching. And you remember. You didn't clean the one you used earlier either. It's now sitting in the sink, crusty, if you have more initiative than me. Mine is usually still laying out, like a crispy sunbather, on top of that eating apparatus. Argh. Put hungry baby down and wait the cursory 7-10 minutes for hot water to clean spoon all the while listening to the lovely sounds of a child in starvation mode.

I needed more spoons. Desperately. So I made my list, checked it twice. I must have been naughty, not nice, because I couldn't find the lovely bouquet of spoons I swore I checked off my list. So this whole week has passed and I've been doing the above routine, always kicking myself that I was such an airhead and didn't get spoons at the store. Then today happens. I decided to clean. And the little spoon fairies decided to laugh at me as I found 2 more spoons in the most odd of places. I won't tell you where I found them since I'm sure you are already laughing at me too. I rejoiced as only a mother can who knows the secret importance of spoons. Then as if the spoon fairies weren't laughing at me already they decided to sprinkle their crusty banana dust all through my hair and let me find that cursed 6-pack of pastel colored spoons that I did buy. I just hid them for later.....right. Ha.

maybe more coffee will help.....

Attempts of productivity - part duece

So in an effort to be (ah-hem) productive, I pulled out my trusty day planner. Flipped to the appropriate week and feeling inspired by the new week, the bare space in which to write, the multitude of tasks and to-do items filling my brain, I whirled my pen happily among the page creating my lists of 'things to do' for today and for the whole week. I then putzed about in the kitchen - idly wandering among the dirty counters filled with dirty dishes, walking on the dirty floor which hasn't been cleaned in who-knows-how-long and really doing nothing productive at all. Whipped out of my daze by the distant wail of a newly woken baby, I realized I hadn't accomplished anything which included making myself food. The only thing I did do was to write my list. Let me ask, does it take you an hour and half to write your lists? I didn't think so dear internet. It's just me. I'm sure.

I frantically whirled around the kitchen concocting something to feed my growling belly and then settled my plump bum on the couch to be really productive: feeding the baby, watching a show (or two three), and feeding myself. All at the same time. Talk about a multi-tasking productive woman huh? So after that hour of productivity I sat there on the couch while my daughter was mentally stimulated via a teething toy and realized I should put my 'to do list' on my phone. I bought the vintage pen & paper day planner when I was using the old-school phone and since I've recently upgraded, well, it just makes sense to use it in as many ways as I possibly can. Right? It's an iPhone after all and probably has an app for that. They have apps for everything. I searched through the iTunes store and found 'Errands'. Perfect. I then proceeded to rewrite, err, type my to do lists into my new app. After all, I usually have my phone with me throughout the house and what better way than to have my to do items right near me all day long?!!

Before I knew it, I was putzing around the kitchen (again) with a sleeping baby on the other side of the house and optimum time to attack the to do list of my day. Yet I continued to wander, putz rather, aimlessly around the house. I failed to get anything done. Well, I take that back. I ate and took care of the baby. And well, I also took the garbage out to the street. Huge accomplishment let me tell you.

Looking back on my failure of a day, the bright sunny window of a new week which I've clouded, I have figured out the key to my failure: I need to write out my to do list on something visible. Maybe a paper tablet that I can put on the crumb-laden TV tray next to the couch. At least it will be visible all day. You know...maybe I'll also include a couple items that I know I'll actually finish for the sake of self confidence. Such as:

• Take out the trash
• Take a shower
• Feed the baby
• Eat lunch
• Eat breakfast
• Get on Facebook

You get the picture.
Maybe tomorrow.

Attempts of productivity - part 1

In an effort of being a good AMAZING mother I decided to cook away in the kitchen making homemade organic baby food. I succeeded in making one ( 1 !!!! ) tray of sweet potatoes that are nestled quietly away, deep in the over packed recesses of my freezer. I also succeeded in buying up huge quantities of carrots, zucchini and pears. Only to realize later that I didn't buy organic....Do you realize the pressure to buy organic baby food products? I fully agree in this train of thought, but after I had finished all my lovely sweet potatoes and a couple apples (which looked organic) I realized I had made a bunch of pesticide laden food - I still haven't decided if I'll feed it to her. There was a sale on step 1 baby food and I'd bought a couple and well, that's as far as I've gotten. 
And do you realize the ease with which to buy the most adorable squeeze packets of mangoes and peaches? Organic too!
And honestly (for organic) they aren't that expensive when on sale.
And... (just kidding).
Why would I want to spend the time roasting/steaming, pureeing and sieving, storing and freezing  when that cute little packet/jar is sitting on the shelf in the cupboard just beckoning to me?
But this inane obsession with being a happy barefooted cook in the kitchen doesn't seem to work for me.
My excuses:
-I hate washing dishes. (really I have physical limitations as well: bad eczema on my hands from water, dry air and diaper wipes -oh the suffering.)
-My LO needs my undivided attention. (yea right.)
-I don't have a food processor. (This is the crux. How can I properly puree a baby sized batch in a blender, for pity's sake!? I've done it - it just sucks.)
-My new Real Simple magazine came in the mail. (it is very important that I read the article "How to stop procrastinating - now.")
-It's raining. (this just seemed like a good excuse. Coffee, aforementioned magazine, cozy blanket and slice of cake.)
Ohhh the frustration and the struggle going back and forth!!! The battle going on in my poor head...! As mentioned though, I have succeeded in a couple attempts of making baby food and for what its worth I am proud of myself. The biggest problem is of getting over this stupid social pressure to do this and do that. Honestly, I am a stay at home mom and thats pretty huge right there. I am blessed to be able to sit here all pretty and raise this little person. So, I leave you with these thoughts:
+ Accept the little things as achievements. Pick one small-ish thing to accomplish and give yourself a freakin' pat on the back.
+ Stop holding yourself to unrealistic goals and don't compare yourself to other Super Mom's.
<end of pep talk>

Wannabe MILF

I have succeeded in joining the ranks of SAHM's. I get-to-be a SAHM: most mothers have to go back to work and their poor little ones get sent to Abuelita's. I should be happy and embracing this most blessed time in my life. A time I will never forget. I will cherish it forever and I get to lovingly watch my Little One (LO) grow up big and strong. Seems glorious right? Right. I have 'given-up' my career as a hot flight attendant to be the beautiful, put-together, organized, coupon-clipping, deal-snagging, DIY-ing, relaxed, fun, mentally-stimulating, exercising, organic gardening, landscaping, baking, home-cooked mealing, lunch bagging, play-dating, encouraging, motivating, decorating, obsessively cleaning house with fresh-baked cookies and daisies on the table wife, lover and finally mother.
Right.
So far I've gotten the wife and mother part down. But honestly that was the easy part. Beautiful wedding and I'm a flight attendant so really up til last year I was a part-time wife, gone 3 & 1/2 days a week. And well you know how the lover->mother thing goes. Yadda-Yadda-Yadda and then 8 & 1/2 months later: Mommy. I've also got the "relaxed" in front of the TV thing, and dead daisies on the table I snatched from my front pre-landscaped yard the former owners of this house blessed me with...which are of course now overgrown and would-be-dying if the rain would just let up.
The jig is up. Being a SAHM is not as easy as those Mad Men-esque chicks make it out to be. Seriously. Maybe I missed out on the automatic down-load of self-motivation, diligence and invisible drive that mothers get once that baby pop's out of your HooHa. Fill me in. Was there a transmission that I didn't get at the hospital? There must be a download-able program that details the how, when, and yes-you-can attitude that I need to fulfill the above SAHM qualities. Because, people, I am not feeling it. Don't get me wrong. I love my Hubby and adorable LO. As much as a lizard loves the sun.
With a job in the big girl world though I have deadlines, presentations, meetings, interviews, people who care what I look like (which makes me care how I look), emails to return, and as a flight attendant: luggage to pack, beauty to attain, places to go, planes to fly, people to serve, seatbelt's to buckle, trash to collect, and a clock that I remained a loyal slave to.
Now though? I have a baby to feed. And honestly all she cares about is whether there is milk flowing into her mouth and a jar of baby food to eat soon after. She really doesn't care if I nurse and play with her in bed all day and wear the same spit-up laden clothing I wore three days ago. Or if my shirt has wrinkles on it, my hair is slapped back in a pony-tail - wet, or the counters have dishes from the last 5 days piled up. She also doesn't tell me that she only wants organic home grown, steamed and gently pureed sweet potatoes. She doesn't care if her little baby nursery has a beautiful hand painted tree with butterflies dancing around her walls. Honestly, she just wants a safe place to sleep. Maybe someday she'll look back and say "Aw, my mother truly loved me and spent countless hours willingly creating a calming atmosphere for me to rest my little body and grow up big and strong." Maybe. Maybe when I'm dead and the family is looking through old pictures trying to find decent ones of me where I show some semblance of photographic qualities.
I digress. My point as I'm hoping you can relate is that as a SAHM no one is standing over your shoulder wondering why you've been sitting at your computer on Friend-Face or some such "social-networking" site for 2 hours all day. If you don't eat breakfast it doesn't lower your billable potential, and if you skip lunch you don't get paid more, you just get hungry. And if dinner isn't ready when the Dear Hubby gets home, it's okay since he's really (truly happy), fine, ecstatic to be eating take-out/Burger King again. Not being sarcastic. My Dear one loves the fast food world. Even though I am an excellent cook, the appeal of a stuffed jalapeño and cheddar steakhouse wins every time. With fries and Coke. Medium? Yes, please. I guess you could say I'm lucky/blessed. My hubby doesn't care where the food on the table is from. My labors of love could be slaving away in the kitchen all day or driving across the street for Panda Express. He also doesn't care if there is a couch full of folded laundry that I haven't put away yet (it's only been 3 days this time). Or if there isn't a clean bowl for cereal ...he'll just use a large cup. What if there are papers, bills, books, bibs, dirty dishes, breast pump parts and pieces of rice on the table? Not a problem. We'll just clear off one of our 4 occupied tray tables and brush off the crumbs from my breakfast. We're very resourceful that way.
Here I am. Struggling with an idealized SAHM-atitutde and floundering haplessly about with my newly acquired +20lb handles of love and no idea of how to get back into the groove. How do I give myself a goal when no one knows if I meet it except me? In one day I can wake up early, eat a healthy breakfast, go for a power walk, go to Bible study, eat a healthy lunch and come home to start dinner, start and finish all laundry, sanitize the kitchen and sweep all the rooms in the house plus the quality time I'd spend feeding/playing/stimulating the mind of my beautiful little baby. Or I can sleep in till 10am, snack on breakfast bars and chips, watch TV and movies all day (plus the obligatory time I'd spend feeding/entertaining my beautiful little baby) and honestly no one would be the wiser.
Where does this internal drive come from?
How do make this Stay At Home Mom thing into a job where I can be productive? Because right now if I don't want to be productive... Shoot. I don't have to. But, do not despair, I will figure this out. Because while I don't want to be a Stepford wifey/mother type, I have tasted the productive, being hot and feeling good about myself side of life and I hereby resolve to NOT be that mom that walks around the mall in slippers, leggings and a baggy sweatshirt. I wannabe a M.I.L.F. A productive one at that.