So that you know...

*2006 post*

...I may be a perfectionist in some areas, but I am not perfect.

Recently, I read an entry by Corin that acknowledged that when blogging, we all like to write about what we're doing right, what has worked, what tasks we've finished, etc... (so true, isn't it?)

And yet, she writes, "we all have weaknesses, we all struggle from time to time. How often do we only write about the good and "forget" to mention the rest? Or our pride gets in the way...?"

Corin's challenge was to post 25 things that would keep you off the cover of 'Perfection Weekly'.

I'm game. Lest you think this is easy for me, it is NOT. It was, however, not a stretch for me to come up with 25 things that reveal my imperfections, but it is difficult for me to post them! So why do it? Because I want to be someone who is willing to talk about the things that are imperfect in my own life. And I could always come down a few notches in my own pridefulness. (This oughta do it! :))

Without further ado, my own 25:

1.The surfaces of the tables in my home (or really, any flat surface) are usually cluttered with piles of books, papers, mail, projects, etc...
2. I am a much better spender than saver in terms of money.
3. I am a much better saver than thrower-awayer in terms of stuff.
4. Just so you know, our freezer is regularly stocked with chicken nuggets or corn dogs (or both) for quick lunches.
5. And our freezer also proudly displays many cartons of ice cream (four at last count, I think). We eat ice cream practically every day. I'm serious.
6. Despite my desire to be hospitable, I am terrible at inviting people over for dinner.
7. I get crabby and exasperated with my children.
8. I am very impatient. Especially when we're trying to get out the door!
9. I rarely do school-type things (practicing letters and sounds) with my four-year-old.
10. Sometimes food goes bad in my fridge. (Usually sour cream or cottage cheese.) I know... ICK.
11. There have been days that my children are still in their pajamas (or at least one of them is) when daddy comes home from work. And they weren't sick, either.
12. I'm continually beginning projects but not finishing them.
13. It's been months since I cleaned our bathtub.
14. We give our kids baths once a week. (Although it has been more frequent lately since they've been outside and getting dirty more often.) Still. On average, it's once a week.
15. I never wear make-up (with the exception of lip gloss or lipstick).
16. My hair is in a ponytail 98 % of the time. (If I don't have a hair elastic with me and my hair is down, I panic.)
17. I very rarely dust my furniture. I mean, very.rarely.
18. On the small desk on which my computer sits (that I'm at right now), I see the following things: an opened letter we got in the mail probably 2 weeks ago, a purple marker, two tubes of toothpaste, a toothbrush, a roll of tape, the recharger for our digital camera, a stack of post-it notes, a water bottle, a pillow for my daughter's dolly, my Bible, journal, a magazine, a pair of Bob the Builder underwear (clean, I promise!), some kleenex, some more mail, a library book (probably overdue), an envelope of photos we picked up nearly a month ago, a CD (need I go on????) This is the NORM.
19. I regularly walk past something that isn't in it's proper place. And I should put it there, but I don't.
20. I have about 5 loads of laundry piled onto the couch right now. My laundry days were Monday and Tuesday. It's Wednesday.
21. I haven't exercised in a week.
22. Our covered back porch is generally so crammed full of stuff, you might be risking your very life (or at the very least, end up with a broken leg), to try to walk through it.
23. I often forget to brush my children's teeth. Or remind them to.
24. I always misplace my keys.
25. Our bedroom is a mess.

And there you have it. I'm cringing, but I will post this. Now. Before I change my mind.

1 comment:

  1. Aug. 16, 2006 - Hmmmmmmm...
    Posted by
    Maybe I should make mine 50 then copy and paste your list? ;-)

    Make it Thomas underwear instead of Bob the Builder though :-D

    Edited by Corin on Aug. 16, 2006 at 10:13 AM

    ***

    Aug. 16, 2006 - You gave me an idea for my next blog entry...
    Posted by kevmem
    What's on your computer desk right now?

    Here goes: an empty bag of Ruffles,(leftover from your fellowship meal, we didn't eat the whole thing, I promise) an almost empty empty bag of Jet Puffed marshmellows, bubble gum wrappers, my swim shorts, a math curriculum, video camera, my purse, library CDs, Sonlight Catalog, tissue paper for gifts, a clean washcloth, a hanger, old mail....

    You get the point!

    We can ALL relate to everyone of your 25 things you listed: You are not alone!;-)

    ***

    Aug. 16, 2006 - Untitled Comment
    Posted by Rebeca
    Wow, you sound like a real person! I can so relate to a lot of things on your list. Dusting? Let's just say it pretty much never happens. My kids get bathed once a week too. (Unless my Mom gets ahold of them, then she bathes them in her tub which of course has been scrubbed first!) Our computer desk sounds lot like yours. I'm not very good at doing "official" teaching stuff with my son either, but we read a lot and he's learning a ton. (I think we're leaning toward a literature based homeschool!) And the clutter-piles, ah, the clutter! That's all too familiar as well. We have a big table, which isn't necessarily a good thing, since only half of it needs to be cleared for us to eat. The other half? Well, you can imagine!
    Thanks for posting this, even though it was painful. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can relate!
    Rebeca

    ***

    Aug. 16, 2006 - egads...
    Posted by Fletch
    i'm cool with the food in the fridge going bad...the bathtub...even the kids in jammies...but forgetting your children's teeth? now i'm offended...
    :) fletch
    remember, you don't have to floss every tooth, just the one's you want to keep.

    ***

    Aug. 16, 2006 - Do you....
    Posted by Sarah
    ....live at my house? Just wondering cause I thought that your list was talking about MY house!! :) Last week I did 20 minutes of an exercise video and I thought I was going to die! Carlos LOVED it and said he was getting strong….well it’s this week and my sore muscles are recovered and no exercise!

    Oh and you are more than welcome to post a link to my blog!

    ***

    Aug. 16, 2006 - YOU CRACK ME UP!!
    Posted by Michelle
    Your list makes me love you even more!! Seriously, it reminds me of Amy's post about the imperfections in a person's home being the things that make someone feel most "at home"...do we not just love knowing that the people around us are not as "perfect" as they appear to be?? I was a little shocked, however, that your toilet-training strategy did not make the list!?!?!?!?!? LOVE YOU TONS (and even more now!!!)

    ***

    Aug. 16, 2006 - To those who commented...
    Posted by reformingmama
    Have I ever mentioned how much I love it when people leave a comment?!?!? :) Thank you!

    Corin, for the idea! It was a good one.

    Kevmem, I'm glad I'm not the only one with the cluttered desk~! :) And if you'd have said you ate the entire bag of Ruffles, I would have TOTALLY understood! :)

    Rebeca, Yep. Very real. *Whew* about you bathing your kids once a week, too! Everyone else in my life seems to do baths every night, and I'm like, "EVERY night?!?!" Yikes! AND we do lots of reading, too. And love it. I love literature-based learning! :) Charlotte Mason, here we come! And... our table. Yes.. it always has that stuff piled on one end.

    Fletch, Your comment was too funny. Had I known you would be reading I would have left out the whole neglecting to brush their teeth part!

    Sarah, Nope- I don't live at your house! But I sure would like to visit! :) And I'd feel right at home. Well, I should have said that when I refer to 'exercise', I'm referring to WALKING with my mom (though she's speedy) 3x a week. Not like I'm JOGGING or doing any work-out videos or going to the gym (ick).

    Michelle- Well. Now that I've spent a week in your perfect home, I'm much more embarrassed about my own IMperfect home! :) Love you!

    ~Stacy

    ***

    Aug. 16, 2006 - Baths
    Posted by Cutzi
    I say you can cross the bath one off your list. My doctor actually told me that once or twice a week is sufficient for kids. Every night is not good for their skin. If anyone tells you different just tell 'em "Cutzi said". And now that I think of it - you may actually be able to take it off the "imperfect" list and move it to the "more perfect" one. ;-)

    ***

    Aug. 17, 2006 - What do you mean you aren't perfect??
    Posted by Mark
    My dearest wife, I easily overlook a few miniscule flaws and proudly proclaim that you are perfect (for me). I do take issue with some of these too...

    #2. You are actually a better saver; I'm sure of it.
    #3. It's not a flaw that you're a saver of stuff. I can imagine my horror if you were a thower-awayer.
    #4. Actually, our freezer is much more stocked with frozen homemade soups and stuff than chicken nuggets and corn dogs.
    #5. If have four half gallons of ice cream in the freezer is wrong and eating it daily is wrong, then I don't want to be right.
    #7. For every minute of crabbiness and exasperation with our children, you give them hours of fun, laughter, love and care.
    #8. Thank goodness somebody has a sense of urgency when we're running late.
    #9. She's four, and I think she knows plenty regarding letters and sounds. And anyway, the Godly training and teaching you give her is plentiful and wonderful.
    #10. The food is going bad in our fridge because I haven't eaten it. Shame on me.
    #11. Those pj days are very rare... and what's the problem with that anyway? I'd love to spend a day wandering around the house in my pjs.
    #12. Um, not finishing projects may be not your strongest area, but you do finish most of the many projects you start.
    #13. It's my job to clean the bathtub. I'm the shirker, and now you did clean it, just today. THANK YOU!
    #14. Weekly baths are fine. Our kids don't stink; they don't look dirty. We have clean kids.
    #15. Hallelujah! I am blessed with a stunningly beautiful wife, and I'm thankful that you don't wear make-up.
    #16. Hair in a ponytail ... hair down ... do I care? No. You're beautiful either way.
    #19. You'd spend all day picking up after us all, and we'd all feel nit-picked, so I'm glad that you aren't a perfectionist in constantly putting things in their proper place.
    #20. You are so good at getting laundry done on your laundry days. When's the last time I folded a piece of laundry? I don't know, because you bless me by doing this undesirable chore. Thanks.
    #21. You haven't exercised in a week, but your mom's been out of town, and it's not like you're letting yourself go or anything. You still look fine to me; and I mean FINE.
    #22 Our back porch is so crammed full of stuff, because I put it there, and it's my job to keep it clean.

    So, in summary it seems that the only notable flaw in your life is your flawed husband.

    I'm loving you.

    Mark

    ***

    Aug. 18, 2006 - whew
    Posted by MicheleinNZ
    I felt such a sense of relief when I read your list because a lot of these things are the very things that I have been beating myself up about this week. And my husband is similar to yours. He is constantly reminding me that I do a great job with the kids and so what if the house isn't Better Homes and Gardens perfect all the time. Or never, as the case may be :) It's filled with love and laughter and God is the centre. But boy, those corn dogs sound good! I should see if I can buy those in New Zealand!!

    ***

    Aug. 19, 2006 - Cutzi, Mark and MicheleinNZ...
    Posted by reformingmama
    Cutzi- Thanks for letting me off the bathing-once-a-week hook! :)

    Mark- I loved your comment. Thank you for your love and encouragement! :) And remember- I am your helpmeet. So even though you're "supposed" to do the back porch and the bathtub, when you're working so many long hours to provide for our family (and I thank you, sweetheart), I need to help shoulder those jobs of yours around here!

    MicheleinNZ- Oh, good. Well, I'm glad I gave you a sense of relief. I smiled when you said "So what if the house isn't Better Homes and Gardens perfect all the time? Or never, as the case may be." I can sure relate to the "never" part! :D

    Blessings to each of you, and thank you for the comments!
    ~Stacy

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