I win the prize for the Blogger Who Came Home To The Most Washing!
The house looked like a bomb had struck it… dirty dishes across the kitchen, dishwasher needing emptied, drying racks stacked to the ceiling. Admittedly the kitchen does look like that most morning… and my husband did clear up the whole kitchen, thanks you P.
But the washing! Who knew my family had so many clothes, and that all of them could need to be either washed, dried, taken in, folded and put away all the at the same time!
Getting home from being away always requires a bit of courage and the ability to roll up the maternal shirt sleeves and get on with it.
When my big boys were young, I used to feel like I was being punished for my rare times away, punished for having enjoyed a bit of freedom.
It doesn’t feel like that at all today. Thank goodness. Instead, I am fine with having more domestic stuff to do this week, and happy for my hubby to slack off after a really hectic weekend for him; ‘You just have to accept that you won’t have a minute to yourself,’ he said. 100% true.
What does it matter that no washing got done?
Digital Parents Conference 2014
I learned a lot during the three nights afloat on the DPCon14. Stand out sessions that met me just at my point of need were:
Using Pinterest To Drive Traffic – Deborah Alter-Rasche of Learn With Play At Home {Use vertical pins|pins regularly in small bursts|use timely pins|create special pins|make them shareable}
Facebook Community Management – Katrina Springer of the Organised Housewife. {change banner at times| stick to your niche| share content old and new| be organised!}
Finding The WHY Behind Your Blog – Kelly Burstow of Be A Fun Mum {share your vision|think about the readers you love to have|do a vision board|work out the heart of your blog}
I had really useful One to One Sessions with Kelly Exeter and Katrina Chambers too, looking at my blog design and where to go next.
Being aboard the Carnival Spirit was a big trip too, even just for a few nights. Steaming through Sydney Heads just after sunset was something I’d longed to do for decades; it was marvellous.
The conference was busy so I can’t do a full report on the cruise ship, but will post something on staying fit afloat down the track.
Over the past many years of motherhood, I have just loved my times away from home. The only way for mums to really get a break is to leave home, don’t you reckon?
I loved to go off on a wee wander, to enjoy what used to feel like ‘normal’ life.
But these days… life at home is so much better and much easier and I feel much better as a mother… and I really miss home and the children and even my beloved fella when I am away. A bit of a shock to the system.
I was thinking of them and missing them and dashed back home ASAP yesterday.
Today’s Travel Dilemma
The thing is, my next trip away could be quite a big one. My Mum is having a hip replacement right at the end of April, and I’d love to go over to help her recuperate afterwards.
Paul will be home for most of May, and he can mind the kids and home. He also has loads of air miles with Emirates so it wouldn’t cost much.
It’s a great position to be in… but I’m torn. Paul’s away for so long on this month-on, month-off schedule, so I’d miss seeing him for a chunk of his time off. The kids would have only one parent for too long.
But Mum is 75 this year and, after the death of my Dad, I know how precious the years are and it feels right to be there to help her when she needs help.
And I have had so little time with my mum one to one, I’d love to stay with her for even a week and just have her and I together.
Do kids from large families ever lose the desire to have their parents to themselves?
A very first world problem and I’m grateful to have this calibre of issues in my life. That doesn’t mean it’s any less emotional or taxing!
Issues of a menopausal mother, emigration is a wonderful thing and a terrible burden too.
What would you do?
Would you do a flying visit to Mum?
Would you stay at home with husband and kids?
And do you ever feel that coming home from being away is a punishment for your brief freedom?
Ah dilemmas!
