Thursday, June 30, 2011

Full time mom for the summer (and Book Blurb Friday!)

The kids and I have been out of school for three weeks now and I wonder how full time mothers do it. I mean I love my kids, and I love spending time with them, and my house is much cleaner now than during the school season, but jeeper leepers there are a lot of hours to the day. By 9 PM I don't want to play another game of Uno (especially since I always lose and this is hard to take by someone who is both a type A and B personality!)  And if I don't have a "real" activity planned for the day look out. The kids get tired of doing their own thing and then the arguing starts.

I never thought about it before, but getting dinner ready has become my escape. "Sorry, I can't do_____ (fill in the blank) now because I have to get dinner ready." This is one of the only times I can take a "physical" break from the kids (playing outside doesn't last long-it's too hot or too cold or too windy-I don't want them sitting in front of the TV, and my shower or bathroom trips are only sacred to me.) But just when I think I will lose my mind (I mean I'm either loved or hated by one of my kids on any given day) there are the quiet moments with one or both kids that cancel everything else out.  Have the rest of you felt this way? How do you get through without feeling like such a bad mommy...sigh.
Boy, I'm glad it's

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 Book Blurb Friday! This is where Lisa Ricard Claro, from Writing in the Buff, posts a picture meant to serve as a fictional book cover.  It's your job to write a blurb about the book in 150 words or less to entice a prospective reader. Are you up to the challenge?  Here is this week's picture and my story:

The Cinderella Switch

Yawning, Meredith stretched her slender arms and squinted at her dresser-she could barely make out the time without her glasses, but the sun streaming into the room told her she had overslept. She didn’t care-last night had been wonderful, just like something out of an old fairy tale, and she was Cinderella… She grabbed up her pillow and putting it over her face she squealed with delight, kicking her feet against the stiff mattress.

The old tower clock chimed reality, and Meredith tumbled out of bed and into her work clothes. She still had to clean the latrines and help with breakfast before the headmaster made her rounds and before students clamored into the dining hall. She put her glasses on and caught sight of her reflection-if she could pull this switch off, then maybe, just maybe, her life could be different. (142 words)

I don't know why I thought of Cinderella with this photo, but it had such a wistful quality to it that I couldn't help but think of a young girl dreaming. What did you think? I'm coming by to check it out!

12 comments:

  1. Great blurb--nice hook with the Cinderella angle. The picture is very wistful, I agree. You saw a young girl, and I saw an old lady. Opposite ends of the spectrum. LOL

    You aren't alone in your Mommy musings. It has been a long time since I've had little ones who beg to be occupied, but I remember well. Boy do I. Sad to say the bathroom visits are still never sacred to anyone. I can't even escape the pets...my black Lab paws at the door, and our kitten, Luna, meows and scratches at the carpet until I let her in. *sigh* And my 17-year-old...it's not Uno with her, but gin rummy!

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  2. Great story as usual, Susan. Every mom needs a quite time for sure. If Aria doesn'r have any outside activity, We do something together at home instead.He is only kid , so sometimes he talks to his friends over internet and mom's quite time starts:)

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  3. Like Lisa I liked the Cinderella angle and caught the wistfulness ...
    and I don't think people appreciate how hard it is training children to be self-entertaining - keep up the good work, they'll be gone before you know it.

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  4. Modern-day Cinderella cleaning the latrines, LOL.
    I love the description of her squealing with delight and kicking her feet on the mattress. Not a missy kind of thing to do, but definitely a girl thing.
    Good stuff, Susan.
    And the mom-and-kids picture? Priceless!

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  5. An excellent twist here...I enjoyed it. I hope by midnight tonight, the fate of Cinderella's secret will reveal itself and she lives 'happily ever after'!!!

    Oh and by the way, I'll help you out, I'll gladly volunteer to play Uno with the kids....I LOVE UNO!! rofl


    Quandom Popularity is my Friday's Post Link.

    Have a great holiday weekend!!

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  6. Dreams are wonderful - waking up not always so. Sometimes dreams come true - if you work hard enough at them;-)

    As for the Mummy part, enjoy it while you can - it passes too soon . . .

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  7. Susan--I agree. The light streaming in DOES give it a wistful feeling. I think it's fascinating that we all go in different directions with the same photo.

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  8. This blurb left me a bit frustrated. I had unanswered questions and I wanted to know more. Okay, that's just what a blurb is supposed to do. Now please hurry and write the story. I've already pulled the credit card from my wallet. :D

    Don't feel that you always have to entertain the children. Left to their own devices for a while, they can become quite good at entertaining themselves. Library trips can foster a love of reading and provide a good way to fill some of that spare time.

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  9. I loved that Cinderella-switch angle!! Like a fairy tale with just a dash of darkness to it!

    How I could relate to those non-sacred bathroom trips. When mine were little, I wrote our subdivision's newsletter, and I had to scribble on little scraps of paper while hiding in the bathroom to do it. My kids would hunt me down and struggle to get in the whole time. I can still picture their little fingers wiggling under the door.

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  10. I laughed when i read your summer parenting journal, Susan. I am a full-time at-home Dad, and yes, dinner is a refuge. I do lock the bathroom door, but that doesn't put a stop to the pounding...

    I hate to admit it, but television has sometimes stepped in as a sanity saver. However, with the good weather (we are in often rainy Oregon) the backyard does become a playground for the two youngest.

    Happy 4th!

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  11. The word 'switch' hooked me in! Whatever can it be?

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  12. I think it's intriguing to suggest the "switch" to the reader. Well done Susan!

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