Comments on: Taken over by a whiny gremlin

By: MamaBearJune

MamaBearJune — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:47:56 +0000

Yeah, you are definitely too hard on yourself. Praying that the hormone storm has passed. And it’s called a phillips head screwdriver.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:09:31 +0000

Oh dear,
I echo previous commenters, you are too hard on yourself!!! I have four kids and I am sitting here doing this while all of them are playing wii sims kingdom right now, a moment where they are not physically killing each other and screaming. We all have a list of things and I have come to learn no matter how perfect peoples homes look, they have their own internal ‘thing’ that is driving them nuts. I can’t seem to stay on top of the housework, day to day crap, .. you have probably heard of http://www.flylady.net, it has helped me at least be able to have people in our entryway without dying of shame. (with a days notice, the children can invite other children over for a play date !! )
hee hee,. I enjoy your blog and wish I had the guts to keep one. (I am too afraid of people I know reading it)
You make me laugh, and whenever I am too hard on my husband I go back to your entry a few years back about lance armstrongs wife, and I am renewed in my relationship. (he owes you a great debt of gratitude that he isnt even aware of!)

By: Julana

Julana — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:36:02 +0000

I got a C+ in handwriting in fourth grade.

By: Krys

Krys — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:41:45 +0000

Oh my goodness!!… I’m living on that farm wearing tie-dye growing my own vegetables & talking to the animals (literally). My lilacs are trimmed but my house is a wreck! Our laundry is piled up & the kitchen floor hasn’t been swept for over a week, & I can’t even remember the last time it was mopped. Here’s how I see it… If the toilets are clean & you have a clean fork to eat with… What more do you need? Summertime is for family, fun & relaxation. Those around us are most important & all of that other stuff is not. It can wait & trust me, it’s not going anywhere! Hang in there!! & just do what you want!!

By: Esther

Esther — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:14:11 +0000

Your memory of things long past reminds me of a brother who frequently muses over grades given by teachers he didn’t like (who didn’t like him?) or things someone said or did to him as a youngster. The rest of us always say: “so what? get over it”. But he doesn’t.

You know what we have always said of him? That he has the brain of a genius.

Aha – that’s you, Mel – a genius! With your memory, your way with words, your great abilities – you are one uncommon woman. Give yourself some slack. A genius THINKS, but doesn’t necessarily DO everything that’s needing to be done. (That’s what kids are for – THEY can trim the bushes; THEY can do the laundry; THEY can clean the litter box; THEY can fix the giant chef salad for dinner – - – for YOU; the genius mom!)

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:22:08 +0000

You’re reading my mind again. And I’ve been told that I’m too hard on myself, too, comments that are well-meaning but I just brush them aside. I feel guilty because I’ve taken on so much and I can’t do it. And I feel like a failure because I see other people doing it. At least they look like they’re doing it, and I can’t achieve that. I’m going away this weekend and my aunt is kid/house sitting. I have so much to do today because there’s no way I want her to see my house the way it is now. Ugh. I’m too hard on myself. It’s a vicious cycle. Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone.

By: Ginny

Ginny — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:09:49 +0000

You are way too hard on yourself. It’s part of being a woman, I know, but come on, Mel! You need to take a break from your life and all your responsibilities–or as many of them as you can–and have some time off! Seriously! You are burning your candle at both ends and you know it’s not good for you. You sound like you are very close to total burnout…so give yourself a break.

By: Carol

Carol — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:02:02 +0000

If it helps very few people here trim their lilacs and they bloom every year.

By: Missie

Missie — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:00:34 +0000

I hear you and I feel you.

After running around the house one night, complaining that I had this thing and that thing and the other thing to do and no one was helping me and blahbittyblahblah, my husband just looked at me and said, “So what?” So what if the laundry doesn’t get completed every day, my kids and hub still have plenty to wear. So what if all the dishes don’t get washed or the lawn isn’t mowed TODAY. Really, will the world fall apart if we don’t keep our self-imposed schedule? That really set me free, let me tell you.

I still get things done, and I like order and a schedule, but “so what?” can really be liberating. Try it.

p.s. If I lived close, I would totally take you out for coffee and a muffin. Calories consumed while helping a friend? So what?

By: Lynne

Lynne — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:07:40 +0000

Is it possible to have collective transnational PMS? I swear you’ve been in my head…

And that screwdriver we call a “kissy-face”… Don’t ask…