Something Uncomfortable: Day 91

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It’s Monday. It’s raining. It’s our over-scheduled, crazy-busy day. It’s an allergy shot day… which means that it’s a take an extra antihistamine day… which means that it’s a Mommy’s-a-little-groggy day. And of course, we’ve been running late from the time we woke up.

I’m sure you can imagine my delight when I realized we needed to squeeze a quick stop at the grocery store into our morning. Did I mention the rain?

I informed the kids that they had to be on their best behavior because we had to get in and out without incident so we could make it to our first appointment on time. They did fairly well, so when they asked to help me scan the groceries in the self-check lane, I felt obligated to let them.

I could have done it faster and more accurately. And I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t have had to have the clerk reset the register 3 times and then take us up to the customer service center to retrieve our 35 cents from the coupon that didn’t go through. BUT they had fun. And let’s be honest… can you imagine if we had self-check lanes when we were kids? I would have probably done just about anything to get my hands on one of those! OK, let’s be really honest… I use the self-check lanes because they are faster AND I think they are fun.

Spontaneity in general makes me uncomfortable. But it really makes me uncomfortable when I’m late, wet, groggy and over-scheduled. The smiles on my kiddos faces was worth being uncomfortable.

What has made you uncomfortable recently, but has made the day of a loved one?

Something Uncomfortable: Day 72

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Today has been all about me learning NOT to put unrealistic expectations on myself. This is obviously very difficult for an OCD perfectionist, but whatever... my day has left me little choice.

Yesterday, my sports bra pulled my neck out. Let it sink in. Yes you read it correctly. Don't question it. Just know that these are the things that happen to me... all the time. And they always have. I believe I had to go to Prompt Care as a child on two occasions because I vacuumed my big toe. What? If you lift the vacuum slightly as you pull it toward you, you will not get those silly lines in your carpet. Don't judge... 

Anyway, I did not sleep well last night because of the neck pain. I woke up at 6:00 and took 2 Ibuprofen. Not a great idea seeing as how I rarely take pain meds and I hadn't eaten. As I began to get a bit of a buzz, I stayed in bed and went through the day's schedule:

• Get everyone fed, dressed and ready in a hurry.
• Be at my parents' house to workout by 8:00.
• Be at playgroup at 9:30.
• Home for lunch by 11:30.
• Shower the kids.
• Bake 6 batches of pumpkin muffins (because I had 6 cans of pumpkin and the exact number of eggs for 6 batches, so it must be God's will that I make 6 batches TODAY).
• Blog and do bookwork by the kids' 2:00 nap (clearly I did not do the math on the baking time for the God ordained 6 batches of pumpkin muffins.)
• Spend some quality time playing with my kids after naps.
• Cook chicken and corn on the cob for dinner by 6:00.
• Take a shower
• Get the kids to bed by 7:45.

Let me tell you what really happened:

• By 7:50 this morning, finally convinced myself that working out would not be good for my neck. (And I haven't completely figured out the whole sports bra thing anyway.)
• Threw clothes on the kids and fed them breakfast at 8:15.
• Got to play group at 9:31.
• Repeatedly told my weeping daughter that I could NOT push her on the swing because my neck hurt. And then she refused to ask my friend to help her, even though my friend offered to help.
• Got my kids home at 11:20 so my husband could shower them because my neck hurt.
• Fed my kids left over cold pizza (which they like) and bananas at 12:30.
• Started making pumpkin muffins like a crazy person because I had an appointment with the chiropractor at 2:40.
• Conceded that God doesn't care how many batches of pumpkin muffins I make around 1:30. 5 was enough and I needed to get to the doctor.
• Told my daughter she had 5 minuted to FINALLY FINISH HER LUNCH at 1:45!
• Got to the chiropractor at 2:43.
• Put the kids down for naps at 4:00.
• Poured some coffee and started this post at 4:15.

Now ask me what's for dinner... how about one the 131 pumpkin muffins I made today? 

I swear, today has involved one issue after another that has forced me to let "it" go. Maybe if I stop scheduling our days down to the minute, it won't be so uncomfortable when life happens and the schedule has to be scrapped.

Please tell me I'm not alone. Does anyone else continually put unrealistic expectations on themselves and then have to deal with the disappointment when you don't meet those expectations?

Something Uncomfortable: Day 60

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The big project for today: Help the kids make something for Mother's Day. 

The plan: Start the process before heading to school and finish after lunch.

I woke up early and seemed to be moving at a superhuman speed. 30 minutes before we had to leave for school, I had the first phase of the project started and ready for the kids to get messy after lunch. Then I realized some of the messy had to happen in the first phase. Oh.my.goodness!

What did we do? We got messy! What? I know, right?!?! But it's true. The kids and I finished messy phase one of said project and made it to school on time... Woohoo!

I have no idea who I am anymore, but I'm pretty sure we like this new and continually improving version of me.

What do you do when life throws you a curve-ball?

**If you are wondering what the project is... come back on Sunday and I'll tell you. Much to my amazement, people are actually reading this. I don't want to spoil the surprise. Stay tuned...

Something Uncomfortable: Day 49

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Today has been one of those days. We made it to school just in time to find out that I had forgotten to bring a family picture for my son. So my daughter and I ran home and back. Which made us late for my allergy shot appointment. Upon arriving there, I realized that I had forgotten to take my antihistamine this morning... awesome.

You see, Mondays are our crazy days. We have also already been to the chiropractor, visited my grandmother, and showered the kids. And we have only made it to nap time... there is still more to come. So as you can imagine, throwing off the OCD lady's schedule, is not helpful.

I am happy to report that I have met today's challenges with only a mild amount of anxiety and NO tears. Why? Because I refuse to be comfortable in my anxieties. It's so much easier to fall apart at the seams because that's what I know and that's who I have condemned myself to be. It's harder to make the effort to truly change the core of my being, but it's worth it. The freedom that is coming with that change is proving to be well worth the effort.

Are you finding freedom or are you continuing to live the life you have condemned yourself to live?

Something Uncomfortable: Day 42

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As I got ready this morning, I thought about what could possibly make me uncomfortable today? We had a fairly normal Monday planned. I kind of thought I might have to get creative about being uncomfortable. I should have known that the very mundane day I had planned would prove to have it's own challenges.

Of course, nothing has gone as planned today. So I've been running late all day. What should one expect when you are running late? Slow drivers. I am NOT exaggerating when I tell you that every time I have been in the car today, I have ended up behind someone who was going between 5 and 10 miles UNDER the speed limit. And each time, I was stuck with no way to get around them. It really made me wonder if there was a national protest against the speed limit happening... but whatever.

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and was taught the fine art of road rage by my father. OK my mom was pretty good at it too... sorry Mom ;) 

Through the years, I have tried to explain to my husband just how bad it was. He didn't believe me until one occasion when he had the pleasure of riding with my dad. Some woman cut him off. At the light, my dad threw the car into park and announced colorfully that he was going to tell her what a bad driver she was. No, I'm not kidding. And neither was he. I thought Adam might pass out. Fortunately, I was able to talk my dad down before he got out of the car. (I told him that none of us would bail him out of jail, because he would surely be arrested if he approached the woman.) 

All this to say that my initial internal reaction to the insanity I was surrounded with today, was to scream through the window at the drivers. I did not do that. Instead, each time it happened I reminded myself that these people did not wake up this morning and decide that this was going to be the day that they made Heather Schneider's life more difficult. AND if I was late to any of our appointments, it would not be their fault. Life just happens sometimes.

I can't imagine how much time and energy I have wasted on being angry at people for things they weren't really doing to me. Every time we get angry we stress our bodies and minds out. Why do that unnecessarily? There are plenty of legitimate things to be upset about... Is the way other people drive one of them? What will happen if you arrive late to something? You might be embarrassed or have to wait longer for a service, but you won't die. Being a little inconvenienced hardly seems worth being angry, does it?

Something Uncomfortable: Day 39

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I would just like to thank God for bringing me through this uncomfortable journey. Had He not been doing so, today would have been a lot uglier than it was.

Due to the cold rain, I made the executive decision NOT to go on the bus ride with my daughter's FunShop class this morning. So we went on a date instead. We went to the candy store, to Target for a quick return, to Kohl's where she got to pick out a purse for me (I had Kohl's cash that expires tomorrow... I got a $48 purse for $9.50!), to Toys R Us where she bought a doll with her Easter money, and to the doughnut shop for her favorite donuts. Awesome, right?

As we were leaving, it happened... she didn't see the step and she landed square on her knees. I knew it was bad, but had no idea just how bad.

There is something very important that you need to understand about my daughter... this chick is tough. I mean, let you cut a sliver out of her foot while she watches with interest, tough. So when she complains about an injury, we listen. 

It took us 15 minutes to leave the parking lot (a wonderful man who works there came out to help with band aids and kind words.) We were late to pick up her brother from pre-school. I didn't follow the rules for parking because my daughter was hysterical. I had to carry her in. Of course, this was a day my son had a wet painting to bring home. As we were driving home, her wailing became worse. So I called Adam and told him he needed to come check this out.

Upon closer examination, we both agreed that her left knee looked pretty messed up and that it was swollen and hot. I called my parents and chiropractor and Adam called our friend who is a doctor. We all thought she was probably OK, but since the chiropractor agreed to look at it, we headed out the door.

30 minutes after she took Ibuprofen (so about 1 1/2 hours after the incident), she started to calm down. Did I mention this is the tough child? She NEVER cries like this. The chiropractor agreed that it looked messed up and since her kneecaps aren't done developing, he thought we better x-ray it just to be sure she hadn't cracked it. 

I'm happy to report that he did NOT find a break... Praise God! But let me tell you, this little monkey smacked the snot out of that thing! 

Clearly my day has not gone the way I had planned and now my daughter and I will be staying home from my son's soccer game (which means my husband will be driving him to it... we all know how I feel the need to be the one behind the wheel.) In spite of all of this, I'm not in the fetal position crying like a crazy person. And I haven't even taken any Anxiety Drops. I have to believe that my efforts to be uncomfortable every day are helping me to remain calm... OK, calmer... on days when the Earth tips off its axis.

So if you haven't started making yourself uncomfortable yet, you really might want to consider it.

Something Uncomfortable: Day 29

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We were supposed to be at zoo school this morning at 10:00. At 9:30, I told the kids to head to the potty. At 9:40, my 3-year-old daughter was in full-blown labor and crying hysterically. This was not our first incident with a man-sized poop trying to make its way out of my poor baby girl. This was, however, the first time it happened when we were heading out the door. I think we were all hoping for an anesthesiologist to show up with an epidural for her, but somehow she manged to deliver that thing naturally... at 9:55.

We were 20 minutes away from the zoo and not in the car. UGH! Is there anything more embarrassing than walking into a classroom or meeting late? I wanted to head home and count our losses, but the kids really wanted to learn about wallabies. So we went... late... I was mortified... but no one else seemed to care. Hmmm! Interesting.

Bottom line (no pun intended... OK, maybe it was intended): Once again, I almost missed out on an exciting adventure because I was too concerned about what people would think of me. Why do I think people care?