Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Summertime Blues


At the end of the day, a day which has been spent ignoring the rising gas prices and instead driving your children around to their various activities whilst turning a blind eye to your ever depleting fuel tank, are you ever just like, WTF?

Do you ever sit on the couch and look at the pile of coloring books and the half empty soda cans and the backpack blocking the doorway and just want to scream?

How about the stack of end-of-the-year work your kids have brought home and  you can't quite figure out a place to put all of it so you just pretend it's not there and let it take root on the dining room table.

And as you pick up small barrettes and Polly Pocket shoes and miscellaneous crayons... as you sort the jumble of flip flops by the front door and toss wet bathing suits into the dryer... as you transfer dirty dishes from the sink to the dishwasher... are you ever tempted to cry?

Is the reflection you see in the mirror an old woman?  

An old woman who has no summer clothes and so has been making do with the same black cotton skirt and assortment of tank tops.

I'm in the mood for a little adventure.

And a shopping trip.

35 comments:

carrie said...

I bought 4 new pairs of flip flops today and suddenly, I feel better about all that stuff.

Try it. See if it works for you!

And yes, there are book bags hanging up in our laundry room still crammed with the contents from the end of the year . . . and I have no idea what those contents are, nor do I care.

Mel said...

Um.

HELL FUCKING YES. Summer vacation SUCKS.

Okay, having added my "amen," I can also tell you that I went to the thrift store yesterday and bought two cute pairs of cute and well-fitting work britches, both of which are so low-rise that there would be Plumber's Crack (TM) if I didn't wear long tanks with them, and instantly felt like a million trillion dollars. And also, the fact that they are three (THREE!!!) sizes smaller than the ones I would have been buying three months ago felt DAYUM GOOD.

Joe said...

I think I'd be terrified if I saw an old woman looking back at me in the mirror.

Ava's family said...

A trip to the mall the other day sure lifted my spirits.....I even took them up on the open a charge and save 10% crap(something that usually pisses me off if they bring it up!). Yes, I bought THAT much and it felt soooooo good as it's been too long since I shopped for ME!

Anonymous said...

Jen's unasked for advice of the day:

#1 Get yourself a large black garbage back and start walking around your house and filling it up. If you're feeling nice, give the children five minutes' warning to save anything that's precious to them.

#2 After you've purged your house of some Kiddie Krap, get into your vehicle and drive to Old Navy or the Gap or even Target and get yourself some cute clothes. At least one or two pairs of cute cropped pants and several shirts.

#3 Go home and have a come-to-Jesus talk with the family. Your boys are old enough to help load their own damn dirty dishes and even your girl can help with parts of it.

#4 Add alcohol to the mix as needed.

Hang in there. My own box of big black garbage bags is calling and even the American Girl dolls should quake in fear.

Shelley said...

"WTF" is the new "Good Morning." It's what I say when I rise to greet each day.

Kristin said...

Let the purging and shopping begin!

Kayce said...

I think this is my life even if it's not summer. Let me know how shopping goes, maybe that's what I need.

Anonymous said...

You know what they say - There ain't no cure for the summertime blues!

Anonymous said...

Life as a housewife........

A good day of shopping will cure what ails you!

Jen said...

Every.Single.Day.

sigh.

M3 said...

Oh yeah... It's even better when your husband comes home and you've finally gotten the effing Polly Pockets, flip flops, rocks, toys, dishes, and dolls put away (again) so you can actually see the floor and you ask him to do something with the kids while you sit down for 10 minutes, for the first time that day, and he says "But I'm tired! Remember, I had to go to WORK today."

Lisa and Tate said...

jenontheedge has some great words of wisdom... purge the junk, get the kids especially the boys to help out and go buy a new (cheapish) outfit or two.

I will add that you will be doing your kids a favor to have them contribute to the house order.... Also, why is it summer has to be full of running around with drop off and pick ups... gas is expensive tell the boys to get on a bike, scooter or walk to get to their play dates... or hang out in the pool. I would kill right now to have a pool in my back yard!

Kristin said...

Lisa - I hear you! Unfortunately, the kids still have to be driven to things... this car chaos only goes until the 3rd of July, so if I can just make it until then...

Daniella said...

I agree with Shelley that WTF is the new good morning. Glad I'm not the ony one with the end of year work still sitting on the table. Some retail thereapy might be good. I am having a long over due girls night out tomorrow and I'm so looking forward to the sushi and the apple martni!

Pink Evita said...

Ahhh, yes. Summer. Go get a mani/pedi. It practically saved my sanity last week. Does that sound shallow? I can't help it. Pink nails make me happy. Truly, it did help. Hang in there.

heartshapedhedges said...

Were you at my house? Why, thank you so much for coming and helping to pick up the overwhelming assortment of junk that gathers in the nooks, as well as open spaces, of my home.

I actually have more time to clean now....school time was cuh-RAY-zee busy.

We need to have a bossy-reunion, with the 4 of us, and a picture of bossy.

Enjoy the PERFECT weather this week!

Kristin said...

Oh, I love the idea of a Bossy-Photo reunion! Count me in!!!

Los said...

This might be a time when a little bit of alcohol could be of service, don't you think?

Anonymous said...

First item on the agenda when I hit Hawaii in a couple weeks: We'll sweet talk our mom's in to watching the kids, then we'll hit Ala Moana (and maybe Wards Warehouse) for some retail therapy and slushy vokda-laden adult beverages!

~ L

Kimberly said...

Awww honey. You need a clean out, a yard sale and then a weekend away to shop and be pampered. (Shoot to sell enough clutter at the yard sale to at least get the pedicure in the vibrating chair and then hit TJ Maxx afterward.)

dgm said...

Hell yeah to jennontheedge--my thoughts exactly. No reason the kids can treat the house that way. Don't be an enabler! I like to set the timer and say "whatever's on the floor when the timer sounds belongs to me! And I can do what I want with it!" That gets 'em moving.

I'm up to drink margs again--say the word. We can put word out to all your local peeps.

Anonymous said...

Summer is hard. No two ways about it. I just wrote about this very thing this week. TWICE.

Pollyanna said...

Summer vacation is one time I don't really mind having to go to work every day. 'cuz I remember summer vacy as a stay-at-home-mom and it was EXACTLY like you described. *sigh* I really really liked jensonthedge advice. Go JEN!

rubyiscoming said...

Get thee shopping, girl. And I think a new lipgloss can do wonders for our countenance!

Evil Witch said...

You just described my house and my life, flip flops by the front door and all. If it wouldn't scare the neighbors I would scream all the time. How about walking through the living room picking things up as you go only to look back and realize your family is messing it up in your wake. sigh.

Debbie said...

b/w the dishes and the laundry?

i give UP.

(only, you know i don't, *really*.)

sigh.

Mocha said...

My answer to all your questions is a resounding YES, because I feel like that more than I care to admit.

Let's shop together.

Bonnie B said...

I'm not sure which I hate more -- when the kids are home or when they are tucked away at school?

School? Miss them, have to do book reports, get up early and deal with teachers

Summer? Have to entertain kids while working from home and deal with their "issues"

I"d go shopping-- but they'll just tag along and ask me , "Why do you have a squishy tummy?"-- ahhhhh!!!!!

Manager Mom said...

"tempted" to cry?

"have to" cry is more like it.

I am exhausted by the perpetual battle against clutter...

Grim Reality Girl said...

Oh.My.Goodness.

Can I just say I share your pain -- have you been peeking in my windows or are we just leading a dual life but with you being skinnier and with a better wardrobe?

Today I scrubbed the front porch because somebody got their dollar store slime all over it. Shoot me. There must be something in the air this summer.....

Unknown said...

Farm the kids out for the summer, buy a bikini and sit on the beach.

Shelley said...

Thanks for the nudge. I actually did the "big purge" this weekend with both the girls' schoolwork and also with Gill, aka "The-packrat's" cluttered room. Only problem is now the rest of the house looks like a bomb went off as I moved things from one area to others ...staging them for removal.

Can't win. But did manage to throw a boatload of crap away. :)

LindaJ said...

Retail therapy is where it's at. I have been getting a bad case of the fuckit's this summer. You should see my laundry room.
I'd much rather shop, but it will cost me too much in gas, there won't be anything left to shop with.

Melodee said...

YES!

Hey, good news for me, though. I gave all the Polly Pockets stuff to a thrift store after no one bought it from my garage sale. Good riddance teeny tiny shoes.