Welcome to my improvised life

Hello, and welcome to my new blog!

I have so much to talk about, but I'll start with introductions and background. First, I am a stay-at-home mom by sorta choice, and sorta necessity. I'm not that good at it, but I do the best I can and hope my children will collect the best of what I have to offer them. I have 2 boys, aged 3 and 8 months, and a husband who was (and still is) my high school sweetheart. Aww...I know-how sweet! And yes it is. Most of the time. Anyway, I am a perfectionist who has lost the ability to achieve perfection at the hands of two small children but who still valiantly tries to make everything work. I attempt many things. Most, I accomplish, but some not so much, and just about everything is modified from the original plan because I didn't have something I needed, or I ran out of time, or something went awry. Somewhere along the path of getting older, I've lost the art of planning thoroughly. It used to get on my nerves. Now, I feel it just makes my life that much more interesting. That's what I tell myself anyway. My mother was a working mother until I was in high school, when she was able to stay home and help me organize my life. I inherited some of my perfectionism from my mother. She was a great cook and an awesome housekeeper. The rest I developed on my own. I am organized, mostly, but I need to be cleaner. I would like to add that I used to be a housekeeper to rival my mother, but then I got married-then I had kids. I could probably stand to work out a little bit too. These are my sometimes goals. My all-the-time goals are to ensure my children survive to adulthood relatively well-adjusted and to feed my family in a healthful manner (mostly) on less than $500/month. To do this, I have had to adjust my cooking style, my cleaning style, and my organizational style and planning skills.

When I was single, no planning was really necessary. I could go to the store or run errands when I wanted. For that matter, I could sleep or use the restroom when I wanted too. Money was pretty easy to manage. Either I had it or I didn't, and I bought supplies accordingly. If I left the house, I had an errand list and a grocery list. I usually got my act together pretty easily and was able to do everything I wanted exactly how I wanted. When I got married, more planning was required, especially about money, but the rest was pretty much the same. When I had kids, it all went to hell in a hand basket. One was a struggle, but two is almost impossible. It takes an act of congress for me just to leave the house. If I leave without a plan, I'm toast. It's going to be a horrible experience, and we will probably miss a meal or a nap or both. As a result, I now plan meals for 1 to 2 weeks, including lunch and snacks as well as breakfast, and write a grocery list sorted by aisle. I still have my errand list, but it is now itemized. I pack the diaper bag as soon as I return home from each trip to ensure everything is ready to go long before I actually leave. Shoes have a home, as do keys, and that home is enforced religiously. I keep a fairly regular schedule so naptimes are easier to work around (although still a problem). You'd think this would ensure success. Sadly, I have had to leave a whole basket of groceries because I realized at the checkout I did not have my wallet. I have had to turn around to retrieve mail that needed to be posted that day, and I've returned home without key items on my grocery list. There is a saying that children steal your brain cells, and I totally agree.

All of these occurrences of non-perfect-ness have led to my improvised lifestyle. Examples include: Trying to make muffins and have no eggs, just use applesauce. No applesauce? Let's try to make some. The shower needs cleaned because the in-laws are coming. No cleaner? I saw somewhere baking soda paste works-let's try that. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. These are tame examples, but it sums up my thinking process. This is why I started this blog. I hope you enjoy my misadventures in housewifery. Welcome aboard!