Jennifer Groft

1. I’ve read a lot of books about getting my act together. Or maybe I have read a lot of parts of books about it. It’s pretty much the same thing, right? And then there are helpful blog posts too, on the same subject. I finish reading almost all of those I see. What I am coming to discover though is that they all have the same idea at their core. Grow up. Act like a grown up. Be all self disciplined and stuff. Prioritize everything – your time, your things, your relationships. And I think to myself – why haven’t I got this figured out yet? Why haven’t I grown up? It really annoys me about myself to be honest.

I think there is something more to it though. I do act on my priorities. I am just not as good at spelling out what those priorities are, for myself or others. I set my priority tasks every morning, but I so often miss those things entirely, that it is more than just not doing anything – I’m doing things all day. I just do something other than what I set out to do. For example, this morning I put “mop wood floors” on my list. It has been a shamefully long time since it has been done. Then when I went and looked at my list later I thought, Nope, not going to happen.

I need to figure out how to put the things I will actually think are important during the course of the day on my list, not just the things I know need to be done while I am sitting in my pre-coffee stupor.

Just thought I would share a little of my self discovery with you…

2. Things I didn’t give up. I spend a good deal of Lent thinking of things I probably should have given up instead (or even thinking that I should have given up All The Things) and being tempted to forget about the things I did decide to work on during Lent. Mind Games, people! I did not give up fast food, sweets, blogging, coffee, facebook, or a lot of other things, but every time someone else says they did I think, Yeah, I should add that to my list.

Then I remember that I have some legitimate issues I am really working on (giving up on goofing off on my phone and managing our grocery budget better to name a couple) and if I try to add in a bunch of other things I will fail at all of them.

I seriously had a few hours yesterday when I was telling myself that I should just go fully Paleo and workout every day for Lent. I should be tracking my calories and not eating any sugar, and, and , and. I realized that this would lead me to use my phone a lot and was probably not a good idea right now – even if it is a good idea in general (and even that is debatable.)

All I have to do right now is put the phone down, and plan the meals carefully. That is a list I can remember.

3. Poor Molly is having a cleanse. Her GI doc recommended we fully clean her out and then start on a regular regimen to keep her, um, moving. Hopefully this will help her constant stomach pain, but I feel so bad for her. How do you tell a four year old she has to poop all day and can’t eat any solid food? Unlimited popsicles and movies, that’s how.

4. I made it to mass on Ash Wednesday. I just have to say that I am really proud of myself. I was feeling very overwhelmed by the orchestration it would take and all the things that are starting to pop up all over our calendar these days. I just wanted to hide. But I contacted my fellow carpool mom, she was okay with me taking her kids to mass and then late to school. Then I called my mother in law, since my car was full of my little kids and carpool kids, my mother in law came and picked up one of my older kids and brought her to mass and then to her school, which is quite far. But we did it! Between us we got 8 children to mass and to school on Wednesday. What a relief.

5. I am finally reading Pride and Prejudice. I feel like everyone else in the world has read it. Part of my “Act more like a grown up” plan was to select a short list of books and give myself a deadline. The only other Jane Austen book I have tried to read is Mansfield Park, and that was such a snore-fest I never finished it. This is much better. I really like it so far, but every time I look up the house is a little bit messier. I solve that problem by reading more.

6. This is the Best One. But I’m burying it down at number six so I look all cool about it and not freaked out at all. I get to write a real column, for a real website, with a real deadline. Now I’m reading articles and columns online and feeling like I am not a Real Grown Up at all and am so not ready for this. Don’t worry, I’ll post a link when it’s a published reality.

7. My Baby Leaves Next Wednesday. I’m so happy her her, but we will miss her terribly. Posy is going to be an Au Pair in France for something like six months. She is perfect for the job, and can handle the kids easily. How many 19 year olds do you know who can take 3 children with them to the store and act like it is not even a big deal? I don’t even do that! I know she will do great and will have a wonderful adventure while she is gone. This is new to me, though, having part of my heart half a world away. Bon Voyage, Posy!