Super Mom

This Super Mom thing is really overrated. I have reached a point where I no longer believe that any one person can truly "have it all". There are choices to be made and priorities to put in line. There is no real life Martha Stewart. Anyone who pays attention knows she has a ton of people who do the real work. She doesn't personally take out all her spring bulbs each fall and replant then in January as she is telling us to do. She may wander around as someone she has paid is doing it and perhaps handle a few, but really, she is too busy running her business and being in front of the camera reminding all of us about our own deficiencies to even begin to do the behind the camera work. Please do not misunderstand me. There are many, many people who are able to juggle a career, family and personal time and I am not in any way trying to say they don't or to even put down Martha Stewart (she is just an example people).
I believe that the problem arises when we no longer set our own standards of success and begin to measure ourselves by someone else's standards. That is a ridciculous thing to do. We are each different. We have different talents, abilities, dreams, priorities, family demands, work demands and allocations of time and interests. What is relaxing for me may not be relaxing for you. What I struggle with daily, may be a breeze for someone else. This is why it is so very important to only work to improve against your own measure.
How do you create this measure and are you already struggling? Well, if you are struggling, then perhaps the bar is set to high. I know mine is on a fairly regular basis and I often have to step back and look at it. Not that you will never reach the high bar, but for now, bring it down a bit and have a success or two to celebrate. As people, especially women and mothers, we really do put too much on ourselves. There are only so many hours in the day. I can NOT get everything done that I want to. I am fortunate on the days that I complete everything I NEED to. I work toward an ever changing goal and have only recently realized how much I had cut myself and my own needs out of the equation. It is difficult to include myself without guilt or feeling selfish. I am working on it though and it is now part of my own personal measure of success.
Just remember, you may never know what goes on "behind the camera" so don't judge yourself against what you are able to see of another's life.

Not so easy

This finish 5 goal is not so easy to meet! It isn't that I don't have enough things, especially since I have decided to include procrastinated items, but that many of them are not quick to finish. That said, I am pleased when I at least plug away at them since progress is progress~!

Finished item

As part of my finish things I've started I have gotten the pictures of the most recent comfortghan and the denim quilt I made my DS for Christmas off the video camera and onto the computer. I am now doing the next step and posting here as originally planned. The denim quilt finished size is 66 x 100. Yes, that is HUGE! I made it big enough to hang over the side on a twin bed and long enough to hang over the end if the twin happens to be dorm length. Guess I have big plans both for my son and the quilt, LOL!
Now, can I count this as two items?

THIS I can do!

I recently read the New Year Resolution musing on another BLOG and I am REALLY liking this idea. The basics are that the only resolution is to finish 5 things every day that you started earlier in your lifetime. Sounds pretty easy doesn't it? Well guess what? IT ISN'T!!! So, as a form of self motivation and accountability I will occasionally post my list here.

Today
1. Cards for swap - group 1
2. Cards for swap - group 2 (I know this might be stretching the count, but give me a break people!)
3. Got my crochet bookmark exchange (the bookmark has been finished since mid December) packaged and by my purse to drop at the Post Office on the way to work tomorrow.
4. Can't think of any more

See what I mean? I did quite a bit today, but as far as finishing things that were stared before today, it is a little more difficult. It is not that I am lacking for things to finish. In fact, I could never start anything new and still have things for this resolution for years to come. The problem is in the completion. This is the reason I think this challenge is absolutely perfect for me! Thank you so much Rockster for putting it out there were I was able to read it!

Craziness

So, things have been pretty insane here. After the craziness of visiting my Mom's and then New Years here with company (although WONDERFUL company) there was a slight thought of a couple days of normal routine. On Thursday my youngest sister and Mother were in town for some various doctor appointments. I was disappointed to not get the opportunity to see them due to work, but had resigned myself to such and figured it would be an early night of diner, cleaning the house in preparation for my brother and his family. Well, WRONG! My sister, poor thing, broke, we think, her foot while she was in town. What this means is that my Mom and sister headed to the emergency room at about 3:30 and at approx. 9 pm they arrived at my house. It was too late after a very long day to start an 1 1/2 hour drive home. This wasn't the end of the evening though as my sister needed some medication that she didn't have with her, no plan to stay overnight, and the phone calls to doctors and pharmacies began. Everything worked out well in the end, but the night was not a restful or uneventful one for any involved!

The next day my brother and his family arrived to spend the next couple of days with us. I am sooooooooooooo glad to have them here. My niece is BEAUTIFUL and my brother and his wife are great fun to have around. I will be sad to see them go tomorrow, but I am pretty sure that they are really looking forward to being in their own home. They have been traveling around between different family for 4 weeks. ACK! I would want my own home!

So, as you can tell, it has been both exciting and eventful in my house. Now, off to fill the chocolate twinkies we are making with the twinkie baking set my boys received for Christmas.

Happy New Year!

Perhaps one of my New Year's intentions, as opposed to resolutions, is to better schedule and prioritize the use of my time. I know that if I just got a bit more organized and motivated to actually do the things I want and need to there really are plenty of hours in the day. Guess posting here should be on the top of that list :).

My New Years this year was absolutely wonderful!! I had the unexpected opportunity to catch up with a cousin of mine that I have not seen in 10 years. This is the cousin that I am closest to in age and one who's company I have always greatly enjoyed. We all stayed up past midnight, but would have done that regardless of the day because we were enjoying visiting so very much. What a great way to ring in the new year!!