Urges and Other Strange Things

Nobody's perfect, right? Daddy always reminds mouse that nobody's perfect but it doesn't stop mouse from trying to be. There's far too much that's been ignored -- dust bunnies hiding. Bright sunny days with plenty of sunshine filtering through the windows means highlighting where the dust bunnies live.

Also, the fact everyone in this house, mouse included, has been sneezing and coughing all over it. So, mouse brought the baby to a relative's home to visit, quickly ran a few errands and hurried home to clean. The urge was overwhelming and it's so rare, it just needed to be acted on. Probably prompted by reading this book. It's the anal retentive guide to cleaning and Daddy approved. Seriously, the author doesn't believe in washing your hands in the kitchen sink!

So mouse driven by need to nest, scrubbed the whole house, shampooed carpets and disinfected the whole thing. Moved furniture and got into corners. Yes, there was some washing of cabinets and other woodwork. Far easier to do without being nude, chained with Daddy watching over her every movement. Lot quicker too since they weren't nearly as filthy as they were before.

We even had a mobile groomer come to the house to bathe the dogs!

Daddy was well aware what mouse was up to all day since mouse was texting about it all (it constituted a change of routine). Daddy surprised mouse by saying if mouse would get the baby early -- he'd been keeping an eye on the weather and felt it best, and said he would bring home dinner.

Really mouse was releaved a bit, although early in the afternoon flurries had been flying but not sticking.. As luck would have it, they did begin to stick after she returned with Babygirl. When Daddy got home, the snow was a bit heavier. He carried wine and pizza.

After all of mouse's hard work, Daddy let mouse watch any movie she wanted...

We settled down and watched a movie that wouldn't torture him too much, White Christmas. Sure mouse could have tortured him with any number of movies, but he probably would clawed his eyes out before they were finished. In bed after the movie was over, he said mouse could watch another movie the next night. Anything she wanted. He said he had work to do so he'd be missing out.

What a shame!

 

Shabbat Shalom

Today is Friday the week is nearly over. Today it's all about Shabbat and preparing.

Now, mouse isn't Jewish, nor does she pretend to be, but she does try very hard to keep Shabbat and kosher, not because she believes but out of respect for Daddy's traditions. There are no extra 5 Things for Daddy because this whole day is really done for him. It's out of love and respect for his beliefs. If mouse had to pick a religion, it would probably be Judaism. Daddy doesn't mind that mouse fakes the prayers, or outrightly doesn't believe. What he sees is only the deference she offers.

It also cannot be over-stated that mouse loves this time of the year, because we light candles at 8:05PM. It gives mouse plenty of daylight to complete this seemingly exhaustive list.

The list for today is about renewing promises and fresh starts:

• Change all bedding, air mattresses
• Wash, fold, iron and put away sheets
• Run to bakery for Challah, candles and pie
• Pick-up dry cleaning
• Buy fresh flowers
• Keep certain lights on
• Light candles (all night candles) in fireplace
• Cut up meat, veggies for stew
• Prep chicken for meal
• Hard boil eggs
• Unplug washer/dryer, leave door open to air
• Turn off heater
• Tape light in refrigerator.
• Vacuum as needed
• Put stew in oven
• Cook chicken, side dishes, keep warm
• Fill thermos of hot water
• Fill kettle
• Empty pockets of money, tidy purse
• Polish Silver (if not done on Thursday)
• Replace toys with Shabbat toys
• Feed kids a snack
• Set Shabbat table
• Open 3 bottles of wine
• Save ice, turn off ice-maker
• Store water in refrigerator
• Make some appetizers
• Double check list!
• Breathe -- Enjoy Shabbat

 

Wednesday/Thursday

Keeping to the Theme of Breathe the plan is to remember you can only accomplish one thing at a time, by giving that thing your full attention, life will be easier.

 

The plan for May 16, 2013 is long. Mid-week cleaning, shopping and everything else.

 

It can be done, remember to just breathe

Wednesday, May 16, 2013

• Clean bathrooms: Showers/tubs, Toilets, Sinks, Countertops, Floors
• Change and wash towels
• Fold clothes and stow properly (Iron as needed)
• Vacuum hallway
• Dust Bedrooms and vacuum
• Empty waste baskets
• Wash/scrub kitchen floor
• Vacuum downstairs
• Clean kitchen
• Clean inside of refrigerator.
• Clean appliances (stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, washer dryer)
• Marketing for rest of the week (have list on phone)
• Blog for later in the week
• 5 Things for Daddy

Thursday May 17, 2013

• Gym
• Tidy bathrooms and living areas
• Tidy Daddy's desk; arrange bills to be paid
• Make shopping list for next week
• Check that roast is defrosted enough
• At least one load of clothes

 

 

A Journey

Moments will often usurp or invade mouse's thoughts and her energy divides. Remembering for mouse to take a moment to breathe is a small way of reclaiming these thoughts end placing them in an order that for her makes sense.

Today is Monday, May 13, 2013 and it's around 10am. Nothing so far has been accomplished, save for getting kiddo off to school and Daddy off to work and a little blogging. The year is nearly half over-with! Breathe

Today, the plan is to accomplish:

• Tidy the bathrooms and living spaces.
• Vacuum living spaces
• At least one load of laundry
• Plan meals for the week
• Grocery Shop
• Spend 15 extra minutes tidying up the kitchen
• 5 Things for Daddy

Tomorrow's Plan for May 14, 2013

 

• Go to gym
• Tidy bathrooms/living spaces
• Vacuum traffic areas
• At least one load of laundry
• Spend 15 minutes tidying up kitchen drawers
• 5 Things for Daddy

Breathe -- it's all possible

 

Old Mother Hubbard...

While Daddy was away, mouse decided it was time to really go through the cabinets.  It was a nice, distracting process and kiddo assisted by standing on a chair and grabbing things mouse couldn't reach.  

Now, this was a process started before Passover, when it was necessary to rid out our home of any Chametz for the holiday.  Looking at the cupboards tho, mouse noticed there were other things, not forbidden that really needed to be gone through.  Unopened bottles of hot sauces, jars of something, canned goods no one eats...

So mouse began the process of removing the stuff, all the stuff, and checking "Best By" dates.  Shamefully 90% of the cabinet was junk.  Too old to even go to a food bank.  Deplorable!   The lower (snack) cabinets the kids have were no better in fact they were a good deal worse because mouse won't even begin to try to describe what she found lurking there.  

Now, our dietary needs have changed also since we've been together.  Daddy hates anything pretty much that comes in a package, so those packaged or convenience rice packages and couscous just languished on the shelves.   Rice, breads, starches and other grains have long since vanished from our diets because of the havoc they cause Daddy and his blood sugars.  He's really not afraid of a protein salad.  

When he returned home he found (shockingly) several cabinets completely empty of food.  He actually didn't like that but when mouse explained it to him, he said he understood.  No baby food either anymore...baby girl has been off that for a while, and she hates the other stuff like it for toddlers...she wants our food or nothing. 

Our refrigerator is full of food, we have a fruit bowl filled with fruit.  Lots of vegetables too..and cheese because Daddy can't live without cheese.   

There is one cabinet, that does contain bread, peanut butter, chips and crackers...But those are mostly for the kids to munch on.  Baby girl's favorite lunch is PB&J with half a banana and raisins.  We used to keep the dog treats in there...but we had move them -- sure you can guess why.  

Ironing

It's not something people like to do, and truthfully it's not something mouse ever enjoyed. Yet now, it's a metaphors for life, the act of smoothing the wrinkles. Making something look crisp or pretty. Now, before anyone emails Daddy suggesting mouse needs a serious intervention...Irs really not a Stepford Wife thing or why mouse finds enjoyable. It's more about clean corners and crisp lines that appeal so to mouse. And just so you know, not everything is ironed. Most things are hung up as soon as the dryer is finished or folded and put away. But there are some things that routinely no matter how quickly she pulls from the dryer they're already wrinkled. Sheets come to mind -- for some reason they always wrinkle at the cuffed part at the top. The sides and corners do as well, but mouse doesn't care much about that.

So mouse irons them. Not the whole sheet, just the cuff parts and pillowcases. Yes, it's cheating. But it requires mouse to remain mindful of her task. Maybe that's what's so appealing? The act of focus is practiced and observed in the task.

Regardless of why it's something mouse actually enjoys.

Laundry, overall, just isn't. Need to figure out a way to feel joyful while doing that...baby steps, mouse...baby steps.

After Party-Party

It was really stressful. Really, super stressful. But it went really well! Seriously mouse was having nightmares all Wednesday night. By Thursday morning mouse was all a bundle of nerves. Tuesday morning we nearly cancelled it all together. But also knew we were fully committed. Had we taken on more than we could handle? Good friends assured mouse we hadn't. Thanks so much to all who encouraged mouse! Daddy's faith never wavered. Not once!

Thursday morning mouse woke, exhausted. The day ahead seemed completely daunting. By the time she dropped the baby off at Lucy's, mouse too was ready to drop! No rest tho, ran home to start dinner and get everything ready. But when she came through the door, mouse looked at the pretty table she set...dunno suddenly the pressure felt lifted.

The meringue came out just lovely! The prime rib roast was very nearly perfect. The ends were a tad past well...but overall most excellent.

Conversation, making rounds ok that part was exhausting for mouse. Daddy seemed tho to enjoy it and beamed proudly at mouse.

After we both collapsed on a sofa and drank a glass of wine, toasting a successful first formal gathering.

The first of many Daddy reminded mouse.

Cat's out of the Bag

Really don't know what exactly compelled mouse to share the link to this blog.  It's nothing exciting.  

The final push to the big formal party...the nerves are starting to make mouse unable to sleep.  

You want everything done today...but if everything is done too far in advance...well you'l freak out when you have to redo everything.   And ya we're still having a small gathering tonight.  Oh well, there's nothing that can be done about it all now.  

This week's plan: 

Monday is tine to give the house a thorough walk through and making note of things that need to be cleaned like baseboards (which actually aren't too bad) doors, light switches, check silver and polish if needed.  Wipe down kitchen cabinets and appliances.  Check the long lighter making sure it works/purchase new one.  Set up canopy outside in case of rain/snowfall -- check weather for outdoor heater or light firepit?  Might as well look around for chametz too while mouse is at it all.  Cleaning the inside of cabinets with damp cloth -- getting rid of all crumbs.  Put down new clean shelf paper

Tuesday is the running around shopping day.  Making sure we have everything we need for all the food, and ya mouse will be picking up the prime rib roast at the butcher shop.  Make place cards to avoid confusion.  Take Dogs to groomer. 

Wednesday is cleaning and prep day.  All the foods that can be prepped in advance (yes Daddy knows he'll be eating soup and salad for dinner).  

Cooking Prep: 

• Onions, carrots, celery pre chopped and ready to be dumped into the vessel.  
• Romaine for salad washed, bagged up for easy dumping
• Dressing made
• Croutons made
• Pie made and ready for meringue on Thursday morning. 
• Make up a few appetizers to serve with cocktails

Cleaning Prep

• Dust/polish dining room table, bring in extra chairs
• Check the flow around the rooms, moving furniture as needed
• Dust in corners, under and behind sofa...Using a fork to remove or lighten divits in the carpeting
• Set out the silver trays, tea/coffee etc arranging the after dinner table with cups, saucers, plates forks etc.  
• Iron all the linens
• Scrub, scrub scrub all the kitchen countertop surfaces and relocate the toaster 
• Place the linens on the table 
• Set the table
• Dust the TV
• Check the ipod for play list marked party (a smooth jazz mix with 5 hours of music) double check speakers
• Arrange Candles
• Sit in various chairs to make sure views aren't impeded by anything
• Make sure there are a couple ashtrays outside, for smokers/cigar smokers 
• Set up bar area, making certain glasses are cleaned 

Thursday is the big day

• Make Meringue
• Pick up bread, take butter out to soften 
• Drop off baby!!! Ya...
• Rib Roast must be in the oven no later than 3pm. 
• Arrange small trays with appetizer bites 
• Peel, wash potatoes, shred horseradish
• Take shower, fix hair and makeup
• Dress for party
• Open red wine and decant at appropriate time 
• Take out white wine to warm a tiny bit before guests arrive (never serve white wine too cold)
• Last minute tidy of the kitchen and floor areas 
• Last second tidy of the house
• Study mouse's mantra for the evening:  Enjoy the party and know you've planned as much as you could.  

Random Weirdness

When mouse watches a movie, or television show that shows someone cleaning it inspires mouse to clean or dig into corners and organize things. Now, it must show the right type of cleaning. Hoarder shows just don't count, nor do those "my home is a disaster please clean it for me and get rid of my crap" shows don't count. Some decorating shows can inspire mouse to clean or move things. Even reading a book can inspire mouse to clean.

After being still with all this, mouse has arrived at the conclusion that the more the home shown resembles in some ways her own home, the deeper the need or desire! Recently, after watching the film The Long Walk Home, mouse went on a complete cleaning spree -- which had nothig to do with rhe plot really at all. It's something when mouse remarked about to Daddy, he in turn gave mouse a quizzical look.

For some reason the exchange made mouse feel a bit defensive, which possibly has much more to do about her childhood than anything else. Rambling and rehashing the reasons to him, and waiting for the little light of recognition to wash over him. When he failed to see the connection, which was evident to mouse, again she relayed it to him. Mystified Daddy patiently listened, then curtly replied that he heard her the first two times. It seemed meaningless to him.

As if to really make Daddy understsnd, mouse tried something different using a cooking show as inspiration to try a new dish. Nothing.

Watching hockey or football doesn't make him want to run out and play or spend money on cleats or ice skates. So mouse supposes that it would seem off beat to him. The only thing watching golf on tv inspires him to do is run to the pro shop.

Yet it's times like these, mouse feels very simple.