Mommin' It Up!

August 24, 2009

Under Presh-sha

When I was in college, I would often procrastinate on projects or big papers until the last minute. This is not because I was lazy (well, at least no totally because I was lazy), but because I was afraid of failure. Afraid to start because I was afraid the finished product would be a flop. But, inevitably, I would start the project with just a day or two to spare, get going, hit my stride, finish up, and get an A. I can remember the feeling of getting two or three paragraphs into a paper, realizing, “Hey, this isn’t so bad!” and sailing through the rest of it. And at the end of it, I did love the fulfillment of getting a good grade.

Though I don’t find myself longing for my college days (the work, after all, did get a little heavy at times), I often long for that feeling again. Because for some reason in adulthood, in motherhood, in being a grown-up in general, I don’t feel like I’ve hit my stride. I am afraid to try and get myself on a schedule because I am afraid I won’t stick to it. Same with an exercise program (not helped by the fact that I abhor exercising). I haven’t yet found the thrill of satisfaction in a clean house, drawers full of folded laundry, or even in a home-cooked meal. I haven’t yet made the Dean’s List for housewives, and I don’t know that I ever will. And truthfully, I am afraid to try. Afraid of the failure that looms as a big and likely possibility. Afraid that soon the only sign of my efforts will be that sorely neglected planner I buy every year and never use.

I have gone from someone who performed well under pressure to someone who avoids it like the plague. I love to do things for others but find the responsibilities of my household overwhelming. I am not kidding when I tell you that the idea that I have to be somewhere at the same time five days a week (to pick Joshua up from school) terrifies me. But I know it will be good for me. And I am hoping that this big change in all of our schedules will be the motivation I need to do myself a favor and establish a more workable rhythm to my days. Because if I can do that, maybe little by little, I’ll get into a groove, and maybe, hopefully, I might even hit my stride.

August 21, 2009

Baby, Don’t Go

Last night we went to a parent’s meeting and open house at Joshua’s school. It is the same school Bobby and I went to, but it’s in a different location now. The building houses K-12 and it’s ginormous. I am fairly sure it will take ME all year to learn how to get from Joshua’s classroom to the parking lot. I am sure Joshua will pick it up much quicker than I.

The meeting was great, but still, at the end, I texted Emily, “I don’t wanna have a kindergartener!”

I don’t want my little boy to be this BIG.

Several times that night, Joshua said to Bobby and I, “I’m really afraid you’re going to leave me here.” He meant right then – and we assured him we weren’t going to leave him there…until Tuesday. Then, we are definitely leaving him there. It about killed me.

Joshua met his teacher, found his desk and his cubbie, and as soon as we walked in, saw his friend Ethan that will be in his class. He met a couple of other kids who will be in the class too, and we walked alllll the way around the room and Bobby and I made him look at ev-ree-thing. Then, since he’d humored us for so long, we let him play on the school playground for awhile. This was, of course, his favorite part.

He left at the end of the night happy and confident, and I can only hope he can summon up the same courage for Tuesday, when Bobby and I will, indeed, have to leave him there. All day.

I know I am going to need a heavy dose of it as well.

August 19, 2009

A Tisket, a Tasket

This past Saturday, I was part of a group of Ohio bloggers that visited the Longaberger Basket Homestead in Newark for a “Baskets for Bloggers” event. When I first got the invitation, I was like, “hmm, this might be fun, but I am not sure I am a ‘basket person’.”

But lured by the fact that I would get to make my OWN basket and by the fact that several of my #bigdealmoms bloggy friends would also be in attendance, I decided to check it out. And I am so glad I did! It was a GREAT day.

First, we got to make our own basket! Longaberger baskets are hand-crafted of ONLY maple wood and metal tacks, did you know that? Each of us bloggers had our own basketmaker assisting us – mine was Joe. We immediately bonded over our love of Mountain Dew.

JennyandJoe
(Thanks Tricia for the picture!)

(Like my HAWT safety glasses? Don’t be jealous!)

Joe has been with Longaberger making baskets for 16 years!! Everyone we met at Longaberger had been there for at LEAST that long. His sister, Heidi, helped Cortney and Marcy make their baskets. A family affair!

Here’s Cortney hard at work on her basket:

Cortneybasket
(photo by Tricia)

And Amy, who had to show us all up and finish FIRST!! She is like, practically a professional!

Now, even though I was CLEARLY in remedial basketmaking due to my functional retardation, and I was the LAST one finished, and everyone MAY or MAY NOT have been waiting on ME, I absolutely *love* the basket I made:

(There’s also a detail shot of it at the top of the post.)

Here are some other baskets made by my bloggy pals:

I LOVED all the variety in color. Everyone got so creative!

After we made our baskets, we were treated to a tour of the Longaberger Factory. I learned a lot, but there were two things that really stuck with me from the tour. The first is that Longaberger makes great efforts to be as GREEN as possible. They recycle their maple scraps either by sending what they can’t use to a recycling center, OR (and I LOVE this!) by taking extra stock and making Limited Edition Longaberger products like these:

The other thing I took away from the tour is that Longaberger has an “Employee Innovation Team” and they are constantly making their equipment and processes better through the input of this group. From how equipment is desogned for employee comfort and productivity, to how much they can cut their usage of waste water – these efforts are employee-driven.

And, it’s all made and done in OHIO!!

How cool is that?

Ok, lastly some more fun pictures of our day!

We couldn’t resist getting in this big ol’ basket!

Amy, Tricia, Andrea, me, Cortney

An we couldn’t resist being big nerds about it, either:

AND, also because I am a huge nerd, I was SUPER-excited that we got our picture taken with the World’s Largest Apple Basket. Does it WOW you, like it does me, to know that this is a TRUE Longaberger basket, made only of Maple and Metal just like the basket I made?? Incredible!!

applebasket

(Thanks again Tricia for the photo!)
Tricia, Andrea, me, Cortney, Amy, and Marcy

So – we had an awesome day! If you are in Ohio or anywhere nearby, this is a really great, inexpensive day activity I recommend you take advantage of! Andrea and Amy even brought their HUSBANDS and they had a great time. Thanks Longaberger for hosting us, you did a GREAT job!