Every year it's the same thing:
Me: I just can't believe it's been a whole year since last year and two years since the year before! What happened to the time?? I didn't walk 10 miles a day and go local/organic/raw. I didn't learn Elvish and sew 5 quilts a month and write every warranted thank-you note and start a blog (oh wait---check!) and perfect my meal planning.
Life: You crack me up.
You see, I am a closet perfectionist.
Come to my house most days, and there are toys scattered about, a mound of laundry on the couch waiting to be folded, last night's bottle of wine uncorked with a thimble-full left on the bottom, and a boy-christened toilet begging to be washed.
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A perfectionist? ummm.....seemingly not so much.
But Flo H., Carmen's Mama (woot woot shout out!!), was the only person on this earth who cut through the crap to see me---a hyper perfectionist. Crazy, right?
Unless I can Gap-fold all the clothes, line them up
by type and color in the drawer,
by type and color in the drawer,
I don't want to do it.
Unless I can take everything off the counters,
scrub the stove and oven,
clean the cracks around the sink with q-tips,
I don't want to do it.
Same thing with lifestyle changes. If I have to cut out carbs, I want to eat as little food as possible without passing out. With working out, I want to push so hard I throw up.
Or I don't want to do it.
A different manifestation of this perfectionism rears it's head if I receive criticism (however charitable or uncharitble it may be). Criticism coming from a total stranger typically doesn't bother me or ticks me off just enough to sass back.
If it comes from those close to me?
Oy, my tender heart doesn't do well, even if the criticism may be well-founded.
As my MIL pointed out, it's ALL OR NOTHING.
This coming year, instead of fighting my innate personality, I will continue to accept my desire for perfection. And when that stubborn streak hits, tempting me to shirk my to-dos because I don't have the time for OCD order? I will politely tell it to buzz off, fold the laundry in a jiff and let Jacob put his own clothes away, even if they get unfolded in the process.
And I will repeat Carmen's own wise words:
"Close enough is good enough."
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On the flipside, my perfectionism does come in handy.
Some of things things I've "perfected" this year.
The art of:
Falling in love with my babies....the smell of them, the feel of their little lips on mine, the swift "You're okay"s after a fall, the hyper cheerleader for met goals, little and big. The middle-of-the-night-tripping-over-toys-rescue for a quick nurse and cuddle, the belly laughs and mutual awe, the letting go so they can grow... Love...
The spontaneous gathering. Be it a summer night's hookah session or a midday tea, I'm all over the last-minute call for the troops. We stumble out, arms overflowing with the accoutrements for a good visit: libations, sustenance and a ready laugh.
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To flatten the chicken, I enclose the breast between two large sheets of Press N' Seal to keep the nasty e-coli splatter to a minimum.
Be generous with the wine--maybe take a few swigs
if you fly like that ;)
if you fly like that ;)
Use kitchen twine instead of toothpicks---they hold the chicken together better and are easier to remove.
Check it:
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Researching before purchasing is kind of my thing. I've been known to compare product reviews for months before purchasing something as simple as a raincoat (hmm...that perfectionism creeping in). SO, when we decided to cloth diaper, if was after just such a time investment. We bought Fuzzi Bunz and have a now have a nice routine with all the supporting of Charlie's Soap, Oxiclean Free, Biokleen, Imse Vimse liners, and many others.
If you are at all considering cloth diapering, USE ME as a resource!!
The Surprise Party. From baby showers to Kev's 30th birthday, I'm all over the whole process, from the big picture to the nitty gritty details, I LOVE a good surprise.
The morning nap. There is nothing like a day when the hubby is home or Jacob's at school, Ceci is down and I can crawl into the cool sheets and cozy down comforter. Nighttime sleep is often hit or miss, but morning nap sleep is golden. The morning light filters through a small slit in the curtains and down, down, down to sleep I fall.
A good cry. There's no relief from stress like a heaving, snot running, snorting, body contorting cry. Sometimes it's hormones, sometimes it's a strained friendship, sometimes it's just pure exhaustion. Grab a box of kleenex, bust out the fetal position and let the river flow. You'll feel better---I promise!
And now, fighting all my tendencies toward a superfluous post editing to include all of this past year's lessons, I will bid adieu.
May your year be blessed with imperfect perfection.
The morning nap. There is nothing like a day when the hubby is home or Jacob's at school, Ceci is down and I can crawl into the cool sheets and cozy down comforter. Nighttime sleep is often hit or miss, but morning nap sleep is golden. The morning light filters through a small slit in the curtains and down, down, down to sleep I fall.
A good cry. There's no relief from stress like a heaving, snot running, snorting, body contorting cry. Sometimes it's hormones, sometimes it's a strained friendship, sometimes it's just pure exhaustion. Grab a box of kleenex, bust out the fetal position and let the river flow. You'll feel better---I promise!
And now, fighting all my tendencies toward a superfluous post editing to include all of this past year's lessons, I will bid adieu.
May your year be blessed with imperfect perfection.
I loved the expression "Boy christened toilet!" Oh man, I am going to be laughing over that one for a while!
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