My New Year's resolution is to tap into my inner June Cleaver ... again.While I've already been working at getting my health, house, and home back in order, Christmas was a definite detour. Now that Christmas is behind us, I'm feeling a very strong urge to get back on track. Every room in my house needs major attention. The girls need some stringent supervision in following through with their chores. I have a mile-long list of projects that need to be done. I'm just ready to get on with it.
I look back on my childhood and realize my mother was June Cleaver. The house was always spotless, there was never more than one load of dirty laundry, and hot meals were like clockwork. She baked, she sewed, and every celebrations was magical. I have no idea how she pulled it all off unless she just never slept.
I suppose I'm strange for wanting to try to perfect my inner retro mom. I enjoy making homemade foods and snacks for my family. I feel good about them eating the healthy foods I make, rather than what's on the school or fast food menus. Even sick, I enjoyed making Christmas cookies with the girls. I also feel good about making costumes for Halloween or school performances, or being able to whip-up a camouflage scarf on a whim when I find out at the last minute the school's clothes theme for the following day requires something camouflage. I like being here for the girls if the school calls and tells me they're sick.
I know society has shifted and most moms have careers now and many households find it necessary to have two incomes to survive. We sacrifice a lot of nifty and shiny new things for me to be able to be the traditional stay-at-home mom. However, we find our lives so much richer. I've had some "careers" I've sincerely enjoyed working outside the home, but when I do, even with everyone pitching in, too many of our domestic duties get neglected due to lack of time for all of us. Further, we lose all of our quality family time to time given to domestic necessities. All of that eats away at my core. Even when I don't work outside the home, I find it difficult to complete all of my necessary projects, much less my extended wish list projects.
Some of the things I'm looking forward to doing once the general household gets back in order:
- cooking and baking snacks and things for home packed lunches
- this reminds me I need a couple more thermoses
- make slipcovers for the sofa and loveseat.
- make kitchen shades
- make a shower curtain (I can't find one I like)
- make a new dog bed
- put down the new bathroom floor
- make clothes for the girls and myself
- make aprons
- paint the dining room and living room
- redecorate the girls' room
- finish the basement repairs (from the flood)
- clear-out the sun room
- garden
- scrapbook again (it's been nearly two years)
- making a family cookbook
- strip the woodwork
- Declutter every room for Goodwill or Spring yard sale
There's just so much that I really, really want to get done. I sincerely miss the days when most moms stayed home. How do career moms manage?
