Thursday, August 18, 2011

Direction and management

Lest you think (from my Math post) that we live in squalor, surrounded by disorderly piles of yarn and fiber, let me assure you, we do not. It's all organized and shelved, there is just a *lot* of it. (I once had a guest who remarked, "LOOK! It's all labeled so you know what you're stealing!")

I can still pull stuff out of the closet (and off of the shelves), but lifting has become a bit of an issue, so a lot of things get pulled out until I can get help putting them back away. Lucky for me, I married up. By "up" I mean "tall and does my heavy lifting".

We spent a lot of this last weekend with me directing Andrew on where to move things that I had intended to take care of, but really couldn't manage on my own. While I prize my "Lady Hulk" title, I am learning to ask for help when I need it. And ask I did.

I'm used to making lists, and systematically accomplishing things on the list. It's incredibly satisfying. However. If you make a list for someone else, someone who (perhaps) works full time and is your Lovable Beast of Burden, it can make you feel like a bit of a jerk. Especially when by the time your Lovable Beast of Burden comes home, you are SO TIRED and can not be on your feet for ONE MORE SECOND.

... Especially if you *might* be giving directions from the couch, where you might be knitting and watching TV, or laying down with the TV on. There has been a lot of TV involved, along with obsessively reading about how to not be a terrible parent. Or vampires. You know, to mix it up a little. (I know, I know. For true literary balance, I should be reading about the zombie apocalypse, too. My shortcomings are many. Thank goodness I'm cute.)

Instead of feeling guilty (because that's not my forte), I'm using my project management skills to work out what needs to get done in order of priority with Andrew. I don't actually make the lists, and I'm learning to be okay with it when things don't get done RIGHT AWAY. I see it as practice for when the SharkBean joins us.

I'm not letting everything slip- I've been working with the dogs on some training that has needed to get done, since that's all about being consistent and not about muscle. On top of that, I'm trying to teach Elphie how to fold laundry, since she is Very Interested in clean laundry. Unfortunately, she lacks some dexterity, so this hasn't worked all that well. Proof that not all ideas are good ones.

She sticks to doing what I fondly refer to as "furmanent press"- which is rolling all over warm, clean, flattened laundry. Considering what I've heard about what *other* dogs like rolling in, I'm 100% okay with her rolling on clean laundry. What's a little dog fur between friends?


SIDE NOTE: I was reading one of the parenting books y'all suggested (I've checked them ALL out, and I'm currently powering through them), and the one I'm reading now seems to have followed my mother around and modeled their "ideal" solutions around how she raised us. When I asked her, she claims to have neither read nor written the book. Further proof of my mother's innate awesomeness.


8 comments:

  1. Wait..what....? We're NOT supposed to live in a giant ball of yarn leftovers?! ;)

    By the way, the Missy-cat loves clean laundry about as much as Elphie, if not more. Folded, clean laundry. She has yet to crawl into the basket with the freshly laundered clothes, but I wouldn't put it past her on a cold day. Consequently, everything I own eventually turns "tabby".... :-/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, I suppose "there was a young lady who lived in a skein of yarn" doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

    Also, every time you talk about your dogs, it reminds me of my first pet ever- a part chow part german shepherd mix and the BEST dog in the universe. I learned to walk by yanking myself up by her fur, and used to play chef by making her plates of plastic food (which she'd obligingly pick up and carry back to my toy chest).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, Lizzlizzlizz--your dog put your toys away for you? A Seeing-Mess dog. I need one!

    And Jasmin, tell Andrew I said thank you for taking good care of you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just found out. Congratulations! Were suppose to be okay with it when things don't get done RIGHT AWAY? Now someone tells me. You will be an awesome parent books or no books.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Also fascinated with clean laundry? Pre-schoolers. Or maybe that's just mine. Something to look forward to. :)

    By the way, have you seen that Mayim Bialik has a book on Attachment Parenting coming out?

    http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Sling-Real-Life-Confident-Attachment/dp/145161800X/

    It's not due out 'til March, though.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hiya Jasmin... My 5 yr old Eleanor, (I also have a 7yr old Harriet/Hattie) wants to be a "Bampire" so that she can stay up with Mama and Dadda and sleep all day as to avoid school!!! A good parenting book for me was Up The Duff by Kaz Cooke, an Australian author (I live in Sydney). It provides common sense tips. Her second book is called Kid Wrangling and also provides useful info pertaining to fussy eaters, fussy sleepers and lots of other useful info. If you can't grab them on Amazon let me know and I will send them on. Mel xxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. I can only read two or three pages of any prenancy/parenting/birthing book and then I get sleepy. It is the same for fun fiction too. Read a page and yawn. Read two pages and close my eyes. I hope this gets better in the second trimester!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fair warning: I know that when you're pregnant, your brains migrate to your uterus (after giving birth, they migrate out your boobs, I think). So if I steal any yarn, you won't know, right? <3

    ReplyDelete

If you'd like me to respond, please make sure to put your email address in the field. :)