Monday, March 16, 2009

Mediocrity Tag

This post is in response to this challenge from my friend Jodi:

"Enough already! I sit down for a walk down acquaintance lane, and while perusing through the blogs of friends and family I'm accosted with massive amounts of over-achieving. It's not a true example of historic accuracy. Where are the TV watching, preservative eating, unvacuumed lives of my peeps? So TAG!!!! I challenge all who read this plea, to put down their craft projects, and t-ball trophies---just for a few hours, and let me see the human side of your lives. I'm not asking for a video account of you losing your temper after one of your 45 sons pees in the garbage can. Maybe just a picture of an unmade bed, or a mole with hair growing out of it. ---Am I the only one who occasionally feels a little green with envy after a half-hour of blog surfing?"

Below is the pile of laundry not being folded as I blog instead, and the pile of books behind it that should be the contents of that shelf.

Here's the "normal" state of our living room. Slip-cover pulled down again, fingerprints on window, rocking chair reclined and arm-rests open, courtesy of Jackson, who makes it his job to keep the chair in this position, even when someone is sitting in it, like the hometeachers. Or hometeacher, I should say, since they don't usually both sit there at once.

This (unwinding an entire spool of curling ribbon throughout the house, "to trap Katelyn"),

and this (ramming stroller-that's currently kept behind the rocking chair because we don't have any storage space in garage - into a box):
are examples of what my kids do when I'm on the phone.

Here's dinner on paper plates with dirty dishes in the background - two pizza slices robbed of their toppings and put back on the pan for someone else to eat).

I wore pajamas until lunchtime today, my kids sometimes eat pop-tarts for breakfast (while every other mom in Seattle serves up organic mixed greens), and this week my kids went 3 days between baths. I didn't have any sons pee in the garbage can today, just one who peed ALL OVER the kitchen floor. How can he have so much liquid left in him after having 4 other accidents during the hour before?
I could go on about imperfections at our house, but instead of close-ups of our shower grout and my overgrown eyebrows, I'm extending this tag on to you who didn't see Jodi's blog. Let's see some imperfection, if you can dig any up, and help boost any homemaking/mothering self-esteem lost through reading clean, crafty, super-mom blogs.

8 comments:

Mindy said...

Wow Larissa, it looks like your life is a mess, or at least like mine. I think I'm too embarrassed to post with this one though because it's just everyday mess to us, I don't think our house ever gets as clean as yours. Hmmm...Maybe I will post Henry's poop smeared cupboard after all. Bad things can happen when it gets too quiet, your on the phone, or reading a perfect blog.

Cailean said...

Oh I love it! Although your living room is still as clean as ever! Your kids are hilarious! After our week of posts about our trip, it's back to my regular mediocre blog posts and I'll be sure to post all our messes as I hope I do anyway. It's easy to spot blogs that are just for show and it makes me feel icky when reading and also makes me feel sad for the blogger. A friend of ours isn't doing a blog because she thinks they are all a competition. So sad! Thanks for showing us your perfect life - because there really isn't any such thing as perfect anyway (without the Lord)!

Laura and crew said...

So funny. I hear of people who get annoyed because blogs sometime showcase the big achievements instead of the everyday, so I like this reality check. I just may have to accept your tag.

Michelle Price said...

At least your kids are creative with their mess. I especially like the Katelyn trap. My kids just dump out the same things over and over. Were these all taken today? I've had some good things going this week, (like marker all over Colby's sheets and Ethan's pillows, and LOTS of Sadie's things soiled by blowouts) but didn't think to take pictures of them, and since I have sent the boys outside for most of the day today, the house has stayed fairly clean. Obviously I am way to much of an over-achiever to do this blog justice, but I'll try for your sake.

Ricki said...

That was great! Thanks for sharing. I'm trying to come up with a clever way to post about sleeping in and wearing my pjs half the day, once I do I'll be sure to return the mediocre post favor. :)

Carolyn Hanson said...

Love it, Larissa. It feels so good reading everyone's 'normal' posts about REAL life! I love the pic of Katelyn in the dishwasher. Too cute!

Sara said...

So glad I'm not the only one. Thanks for keeping it real!

Your children look so happy...good job on that, since I know you do it on your own a lot while John's gone.

The Copes said...

My favorite is the lunch scene with breakfast dishes still on the table.....story of my life. Great job and being a mediocre housekeeper!!---However, I happen to know that you're Super Mom USA, so I'm not sure if a pile of laundry absolves you from being great, at least not in my book.
All in all, I thought it to be an excellent post.