If I could live anywhere in the world – Finish the Sentence Friday
30April 11, 2013 by Katia
I’d like for it to be a clean space, please. And tidy too. No tiny pieces of Lego on the floor, behind the safety belt in baby’s car seat, in his play pen or festively displayed inside my mother’s beautiful glazed terracotta bowl. Had I been asked a few years ago, I would most certainly launch a discussion on the benefits of London vs. Rome, but two boys later? Huh! Pathetic. Just give me somewhere with no socks on the floor. My wishes these days are far more modest than ever before. Yesterday I tweeted:
Don’t belittle my post-kids dreams. They may be small but just as unattainable. #cupofteafantasies
— Katia DBE (@KatiaDBE) April 10, 2013
That’s right, I dream small. Sue me. It’s not that I didn’t know what I signed up for. I lovingly accept the childhood artifacts everywhere. The toy boxes and the train tracks in my dining room, the constantly changing Lego expo on my dining room table, the duck shaped potty in the living room, the Exersaucer, diapers, change pad, wipes, books, chewy toys. This comes with the territory and I would probably be worried if my 3 year old and especially my 8 Month old started putting things back in their places and tidied up after themselves on their own. But since I’ve studied arts and use my knowledge extensively to tweet about Dancing with the Stars, let me use an art analogy here. The objects I describe are permanent exhibitions in the gallery that is my living space, but the same gallery simultaneously hosts some independently curated avant garde changing exhibitions. Like the Stacked Disposable Wine Glasses Castle on the kitchen floor. And it’s not entirely the Artist’s fault.
See, every once in a while something along those lines shows up on my Twitter feed “Mom tip of the week (Me: I sense that you’re about to lose me) How to organize… (Me: Hmmm, what can I eat?)” I would love to be that mom, but just as I am would loving to be her something else always happens. Here’s a list of things that happen when I think about organizing the house:
1. OMG, I have the perfect wording for that sentence I’ve been struggling with for my post! (sitting down to write it when…)
2. Oh no, I’m so behind on my “social duties”. There’s an email I’ve been meaning to write for 5 days. (logging into Gmail).
3. Is there a tweet somewhere in there? Social duties, email…
4. Wait a minute, did I ever do that mature responsible grown up thing that 36 Year Old’s been asking me to do? Can’t remember what it was, but I bet he is trying to teach me something. Wonder what that could be? Probably something positive, like I can trust you with our mortgage stuff. Wonder if it was a mortgage thing?
5. Mortgage is so boring.
6. It’s been a long time since I caught up on pop culture and I have no idea what Lady Gaga is up to these days. What if some website asks me to write gossip for them?
7. It’s been 10 minutes since 8 Month Old fell asleep. I bet I can turn Netflix on and watch Dexter without him waking up. Is it so wrong to love a fictitious serial killer character, anyway?
8. What I should really be doing right now with my time is making some progress with The Marriage Plot, that’s what.
9. Ew, look at that nasty slice of apple sitting on the table. I’ve seen it here at around 5:30 a.m. What is it still doing here? Oh, right.
10. Why am I thinking about Rome?
This post is written for FTSF. Please visit our lovely hosts:
Janine at Janine’s Confessions of a Mommyaholic
Stephanie at Mommy, for Real
Kate at Can I get Another Bottle of Whine?
Dawn at Dawn’s Disaster
Katia, someday our house will be clean, too. Not sure when this day will come, but a girl scan dream. Thank you so much for linking up with us this week and definitely awesome way to end the sentence (most mothers can relate!!).
Thank you so much, Janine! I’m glad I linked up today. It usually takes me longer to write, but I had some, ahem, apple shaped inspiration…
Well, you summed that up just about right. I can so very much relate to your thought process! I am in your world, lady! I am delighted that you linked up with FTSF today! Woo-hoo!
I’m so happy I linked up too and somewhat comforted that you share that thought “process”, although find it hard to believe 🙂
OOOOH, I love your take on the FTSF! I was just imagining my house tonight without all the clutter.
I paid lots of money for an art history degree and now I spend all but 20 minutes of the day playing Legos, changing diapers, or teaching kids. If I could will my brain to remember how to critically analyze my kids’ “art,” I may do the same as you.
Yup, Art History major here, which is about as relevant to my life these days as the decision between London and Rome 🙂 Nice to meet a fellow art historian drowning in Lego!
OMG I heart Dexter. Hard. And feel a little guilty that I used to let my 3-week old fall asleep on my boob so I could watch it. I’m sure he doesn’t remember. And I am so behind on my social duties, too…sigh…
very surprised if the actor was an idiot.
When 8 Month Old lets me leave him in his exersaucer I push it away from the tv and watch however many minutes are left.
haha, awesome that you push the exersaucer away from the tv. SO glad I met you! And dude. Mortgage is amazingly boring. You, however, are not.
As am I, Kristi, both your comments made me very happy. 🙂
How about a villa in Rome that’s very tidy and organized?
Oooooooooh! That could work!
Ha ha! Exactly why my house is a pit. I try to take 15 minutes a day to get the junk out of the middle of the floors and do the dishes, the rest of it…forget it. I need a maid, but am too frugal to hire one. Plus, I’m not a good manager. I’d probably help her clean because I’d feel so guilty.
Oh, me too Kate!
Wow, that sounds like my brain when I’m trying to fall asleep at night. Ping-ponging from one thought to the next. I don’t have kids to leave art sculptures in my living room, but it would still be nice to have the cleaning fairy stop by now and again. 🙂
Oh yes, the dreaded night time lists! I know exactly what you’re talking about. It happened this morning, in fact.
BTW, I checked out your blog and I’m so excited to look at the recipes! I don’t know much about Armenian food (except for Lavash bread?) but I LOVE Georgean food. Wonder if they’re anything alike. And the photo of your grandmother is breathtaking. Now I’ll go write this in a comment on your blog, in case you don’t see this one 🙂
It’s really okay to leave the clutter. At least this is my epiphany over the last months. But isn’t it funny how your quickly the time that you may have spent cleaning up kid-induced disaster disappears so quickly? I love that you are finding so many fun mental distractions to keep you “occupied” during your free moments.
Thank you, Jessica. Yes, I do leave the clutter, agonize over it a little bit until I remember Lady Gaga or Dexter and then I agonize some more and remind myself that when I had 3 Year Old only I seemed to have some time to tidy up, so I’ll probably have time again when 8 Month Old doesn’t need constant monitoring. Which is in about 2 years 🙂
OK seriously your post is high-sterical and exhibits the wonderful world that is mommy brain so very well. My boy is 7 we just finished picking up 900 legos. So good luck with getting your life back. 🙂
Only 900? So you’re cutting back on legos then? 😉
I don’t expect to get my life back, but maybe just the dining room table?
Thank you so much, Jen. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
LOL! You know, before kids, I would have wondered what in the world you were talking about but now, I just want to fist bump you!!
Fist bump, high five and chest bump! 🙂
what is the old saying? ‘ a perfectly clean house is an empty house’? I totally agree that organization has a place in life… but flexibility is important too. lol
fun post
Absolutely, flexibility is one of the most important things in life. Could not agree more. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m loving FTSF, can’t wait for next week!
Yes, yes, yes! I feel you, on all of this. Except delete “Dexter” and insert “Girls.”
Yes, I really want to start watching Girls! 🙂
It is amazing how our hopes and dreams and wished change throughout our lives! Thanks for linking up with #FTSF this week!
Yes, quite incredible, I agree 🙂
I figure, what’s the point in cleaning, when it will look exactly the same in 10 minutes. No lie, I picked up all the plastic vegetables and put them in their bucket, and my 11 month old came in right behind me and dumped the bucket over her head. For fun. So I laughed and went to get the laundry that had been sitting in the dryer for half the day. 🙂
OMG, how did I miss this? So sorry. Yes, you are absolutely right. No point. And the laundry sits in your dryer for just half the day? You’re my new hero!