sneak peek #2: bread and butterflies
Tuesday, July 31, 2012 at 6:06PM Here is a question I get asked a lot.
How do you balance three school-age kids, a three-week-old, two horsedogs, a marriage, and a business? How do you do it all?
Here is the answer.
I do not.
Most days I do not even do some of it.
Today I swept up enough dog hair to weave a sweater for my 6'5" husband. And a matching one for my newborn.
Tomorrow I will probably not sweep up the dog hair. In which case, the dog hair will pile up, and so the next time I get around to it, I'll close the door to my bedroom and quietly tap my head against the wall while I think about the atrocious living conditions I'm providing my children.
Lucky for you, I have a separate studio located several miles from my horsedogs, and there is no canine hair near the yarn I'm about to show you.
Here's the next sneak peek of our new collection: Bread and Butterflies.
I think dinner is burning right now. Something smells weird.
For real. It smells like burning chicken.
And -- I swear to God -- my dog Rosie just threw up in the living room.
Twice.
Oh, but look! This makes me feel slightly better.
Does it make up for the dog vomit and the burning dinner?
Maybe?
Next to me are two baskets of unfolded laundry, which we will probably just clothe ourselves out of rather than systematically folding and putting away. Today I figure clean clothes stored improperly are good enough.
This colorway is at the top of my favorites list. I can't wait to show you more of it.
But first, I have to spend more time snuggling Baby Shamrock.
Yeah, she has magenta diapers. White is so 2011.
She is fantastic, thanks for asking. She's a good nighttime sleeper (I take no credit, totally luck of the draw). She is doted on and snuggled and sniffed, and I wouldn't trade her for a perfectly cooked dinner, well organized drawers, and non-shedding, non-barfing pets.
Want to tell me about how you don't do it all, either?
Please?
Reader Comments (31)
Food (some) in the kitchen, clean laundry (a bit -- preferably undergarments) somewhere in the house, healthy & happy (mostly) kids. That's what I strive for. I've tried doing the whole "delegation of chores" teaching to my teens -- so far it's not been a wild success.
But Kid #1 is off to college several states away in 4 weeks, so I'm continuing to soak up all the "good bits" times and keep the house just barely tolerable. It works.
I do remember going to a "professional women's seminar day" many years ago. The uber-polished presenter, when discussing this "doing it all" myth, at one point told us, "If I asked you to raise your hand if your bra is being held together by safety pins, you all would be amazed at how many hands would go up." I liked that. Reminded me that the "face" we show isn't the whole story by a long shot.
I think everyone's comments are sweet, funny, compassionate and encouraging. You have wonderful friends and customers.
If I could go back and do things over again, I would clean less and love more. I think I would still have tried to have a semblance of order, but I would be more relaxed about how things looked.
Even today, at age 54, I still try to spend 15 minutes picking things up every morning, putting dishes in the dishwasher, throwing a load in the washer, but I don't dust. Ever. I have someone come in and do the dusting and the floors every two weeks but if I didn't, I still wouldn't dust and would only do the floors if they got sticky and embarrassing. I fold laundry once in a while. I use the crockpot a lot (as you know - don't make that face at me, daughter dear) and I consider it a productive day if those things I've mentioned above get done.
At the end of the day if I've kept everything spic and span (not so easy anymore) but have been crabby, I feel that wasn't such a great day.
If I've been able to be patient and loving (again, not easy with all the people tugging at my sleeve, and my task-oriented nature), I lay my head on my pillow at night in gratitude and think what a miracle that was.
I love you two chibben and fee.
I have different parameters, but same results! You make me feel better about my messy life.
Love this post! But I hate to tell you this...it only gets worse with teenagers! I have 16 & 13 year old boys who seem oblivious to the mess that they make around them. I'm SOOOOOO ready for school to start! Our border collie is shedding and there are clumps of hair on my off white carpeting (big mistake) between vacuuming. Enjoy your wee ones - I miss those ages! Your new colorways and Shamrock are beautiful! :)
I have been out on maternity leave and now at 14 weeks out from having identical twin girls, I am just starting to unearth my previous life. Imagine my shock and surprise when I begin perusing all my old blogs and find you had one too! Congratulations!
Twins are wonderful, but ensure that I am in no way on top of anything housework related. I have a stack of un-addressed baby announcements sitting here that might get mailed out before they start college. I did a shockingly small amount of knitting for my two before they came. I occassionally sweep up the large balls of shed fur around my place and when I hear the vomit noise, I try frantically to figure out which of the five creatures (of the human, canine and feline variety) is currenlty vomiting and try to catch said vomit on whatever dsiposable item I find handy. And I don't even own a business or have a very demanding job. So no judgement here. Enjoy snuggling Baby Shamrock and keep posting pictures of that adorable girl on hand-knitted items!
Umm, NO ONE does it all. That is an urban legend.
Enjoy the beautiful baby. Enjoy the older children because before you turn around they'll be adults Enjoy the doggies, barf, hair and all, because, well just because we love our doggies and kitties. Enjoy creating the fabulous colors for your yarn that please you, and don't forget the husbeast! The rest - it will be there in the morning. Let it go for now.
Thanks for a wonderful post! (My favorite part is lovely Baby Shamrock, her precious toes and smooshy kissable cheeks and tummy! I also adore the stylish diaper.) Since I am one who has asked how you do it all! I mean, I know we can't 'do it all', but you seem to excel in what matters. :)
I also love reading your Mama's comment above - her wisdom is especially valuable seeing how her amazing daughter turned out. <3
I was still holding it together with two kids, but my third pushed me over the edge! My inherently tidy mum would shake her head at my kitchen, walls papered with my girls' artwork, counters full of papers, books, yarn, toys and crayons. My all-time favorite line from her was "You're a good mum. A terrible housekeeper, but a good mum."
If that is my legacy, I can die happy. :)
Of course I do it all! Dishes get in the dishwasher, cat vomit scrubbed from the rug (they especially love barfing on the rug), one-year-old played with, dissertation gets written, sweater knitting coming along. Just kidding! Did I say every day? No, and for a reason. Yesterday got to watch a movie we planned to watch together with my husband for long time, but dinner was leftovers. This morning we walked to my son's daycare instead of driving and stopped to look at leaves and rocks, but the nightstand drawer he emptied on the floor just as we were walking out the door? It stayed there and will stay until we get home in the afternoon. Everything will get done eventually. And I get to admire these beautiful bread-and-butterfly colors. It's a good day.
Do "it" all?? Ha! I aim for healthy and happy. Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures (the yarn is gorgeous too!) L-o-v-e the magenta diapers. Don't have anyone in that age bracket so they were new to me!
just had to add, as I catch up on my favorite blogs at 4:37am even though this post was days and days ago...new baby smell is far too important for clean houses! I have little heart attacks when the hubby or children mention the most evil of all phrases "friends are on their way over for a visit" because the dust bunnies are taking over, and of you are crazy enough to take your shoes off you will get a Lego in your foot. the dishes, oh the dishes 4 kids can create making a sandwich! I wish that I still though my 5&6 year olds were young enough to be an acceptable excuse for having laundry in baskets other clean & dirty! for what we lack in order and organizing we make up for in love and laughter, and that's all that matters to me. I'll have plenty of time to clean when they are grown. P.S. love baby Shamrocks magenta diaper sooo much! and the new yarn colors, girl I don't know how you do it, but I hope your doing it for a long long time!
All I have to say is beautiful baby