Since 2008, I have been a SAHM (stay-at-home mom). Yes, there was a year filled with a very fast paced business ownership venture and a couple of months recently where I became a working mom again. But, all-in-all I've been a wife, mother, and aspiring homemaker.
When my husband and I decided I would stay home it was exciting! We had a one year old daughter and I was pregnant with our second child (our son). But very quickly a harsh reality set in. I had no idea how to be a stay-home mom! Our life was willy nilly! No set schedule, no routines, C.H.A.O.S.!
Needing to have some kind of plan I found this website,
FlyLady.net. There was so much information for how to pull my life all together. How to become not a maid/slave, but a homemaker. (Cue the singing angels from Heaven) I must've studied her site for a week. I knew people would think I was crazy, but I didn't care. The FlyLady had the answers I was looking for. So I decided to dive in.
Folders, dividers, lists (typed out), routines, markers, pens, paper, calendars, stickers, oh my! I went all out! It was beautiful. My
Control Journal was my masterpiece. A labor of love. I was up early, had a routine, was cooking planned dinners, making lunch and breakfast for my husband before he went off to work in the morning, homeschooling our daughter, had a clean house, looked pulled together, knew where I was going that day.... All for about two weeks. Then I fell off the Fly Wagon.
Why? Why did it not work for me? I couldn't figure it out! But one night, I got it. I'd jumped in head first. I forgot FlyLady's main motto of "
Babysteps". I had overwhelmed myself and burnt out. Not because her plan doesn't work, but because I had not worked it correctly, nor did I personalize it for what my household needed. I also didn't have the support I needed.
Now, rather quickly, I found a great support team when I'd discovered Twitter. There are sooo many "FlyBabies". No, I've never met these ladies in person, but they've helped to keep me sane. We encourage each other to pull it together, reach down to pull the lost one back on the the wagon when they fall off. They helped me to realize just because I am a SAHM, I'm not gonna have it all together all the time. My house will get unruly, dinner may not be a Food Network favorite, I may have Mt. Washmore (laundry) to climb, but it's okay. Eventually it will all get done.
So here we are three years later and I'm still on and off the wagon. I just so happen to be on today. My house is clean (not spotless), I woke up and did what I call a self-rescue (shower, dress to shoes, etc.), got my kids fed and off to school on time, dinner was planned and an easy fix, my
scripture reading is done, I know exactly what's on the schedule for today, and I even have time to sit here in the peace and quiet of my home and tell you what's on my heart. How's that for F.L.Y.ing?
Thank you FlyLady for the "You can do it!" Here's to being on the wagon again, but I'm taking babysteps the rest of the way.
Question of the Day: Are you on or off the FLY wagon? And how do you stay more on than off?
Miracles & Blessings,
