Last night at about 11 p.m. I made a silent mandarine cake for Lala's History morning at school. I wasn't being amazing or organised or any of those silly things we say about women who just do what they have to do. In fact I had just watched 'Chocolat', one of my favourites, and enjoyed the serenity of that woman beating up batter in a big ceramic bowl with a wooden spoon. Johnny Depp was also a soothing balm to my shaken soul after the last few days. So I put on some Seu Jorge Frongch moozeek and merrily mixed away till midnight.
Today a few people carried on at l'histoire event about how amazing it was to make a cake. Frankly it would have been more trouble to go to the shops. That's usually the only reason I bake. Not very domestic goddess is it? Meanwhile the only other domestica happening here has been keeping the chooks and kids fed and watered and putting out and bringing in washing. In fact I made the boy with the new broken arm do that yesterday- just some towels- he's fine. There are black primed canvases waiting in the lounge with friends' overdue names on them but to no avail as mountains of washing creep relentlessly through the house.
Not a bed has been made. Their clothes are strewn where they changed in the sunroom this morning amidst several days' toys and craft projects. Whole pieces of furniture have apparently moved rooms. That poltergeist is back!
There appears to not be any balance in this house. I have not kept all my balls in the air and they are rolling down the hallway entangled with the laundry.
The blinds haven't been opened for two days and I just remembered I should check the mail. That's one of the big fella's jobs so I just haven't had it in my repertoire. He did ask me to chlorinate the pool on Monday and I still haven't done that either.
I was going to crawl into my unmade bed with this one but now a lovely friend is coming to visit. You know you are old friends when you can say yes to them coming and the house looks like the above. I cannot even begin to imagine how this would have gone if I was working at the moment. I feel a lot of pressure to go back to work often from women friends. It's funny that we tell people we DON'T work because, seriously staying at home full time can be less than a picnic. Next year I will be 'working' again (away from home) when I can and it makes me very nervous. To have the pressure of keeping 'things in balance' and 'all our balls in the air' is just an additional chore when you have to change a nappy on the way to school pick up between the trombone and the euphonium in the back of the people mover and use a sock because the wipes are in the other bag. Most of us just do what we do because we love them and that's how it is. It's just not always pretty!
Brilliant post. Always refreshing to see that other's houses are just like mine. My balls all dropped quite some ago and their lost somewhere in the house. I often bake at 11pm and people are impressed, but just like you - it's much less stressful to do that than go to the shops!
ReplyDeleteWe call that look 'lived in' ... it's the height of fashion here :D
ReplyDeleteSchool functions, I send a pack of Tim Tams and a paper plate. I couldn't be stuffed.
ReplyDeleteI can only study full-time because I have help. I've decided that families actually need three parents in order to function somewhat like the myth of functioning families. Even with help, the school lunches are less-than-desirable, washing is all over the place, and the beds are never made. Not to mention the disgusting bathroom sink. Oh well. You can only do so much.
I know that sink. Perhaps the thing that lives in it commutes from plughole to plughole leaving its gakky gunge in its wake. The Greens cake mixes for $2 are always good to stock up on for school dos.
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing real life. It's always reassuring to see a house that looks like mine. I'm progressively lowering the bar.
ReplyDeleteI think baking something is easier than dragging everyone to the shops, too. My fall back is oftern brownies (melt, mix, bake - no beaters).
As for paid work/working outside of the house, It's been a while, but let's just say staying home is not as easy as it looks.
Balance! I say ha ha ha ha ha. My house is frequently a tip (once Legoman left the back door open and when I came home from school drop off I thought we had been burgled and ransacked, but no just the usual detritus strewn around the house). I work two days a week and spend the other 3 scrambling madly around trying to catch up on all those piles of washing, folding, last minute projects for school etc etc. I would also much rather do something creative than do housework but am trying to declutter and bring less home- except vintage fabric of course, oh and milk glass, and maybe the odd piece of pyrex. Oh and going to work is also much easier than staying home except for the catching up part. melx
ReplyDeleteToday the 'toy space' is TOTALLY covered with stuff, probably about 20cm deep, and the entire contents of the dress up box have been spewed through the rumpus room. And I have work to do so it will all have to wait. I'm thinking I might need you to come visit one day and help me purge. Then I'll come to your house and fold while you paint. I'm feeling more relaxed already (but never balanced). Great post lovey.
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