In the Weeds

I am in the weeds this afternoon. After a wonderful morning at Bible study, I've felt my day closing in on me ever since.

I'm a stay-at-home-mom, and I need a day to stay at home!

I've always been a person surrounded by clutter. You could say I thrived on clutter and busyness. Organization has not been one of my strong suits. But there's been a change going on the last few years. I like seeing the kitchen counters, a vacuumed floor, an empty laundry basket, because the clothes are actually put away. I need a day at home to get my life and house back on track.

It's likely that being in the weeds is another way of saying PMSing. But if I don't get a day to sort out the mountain of paper I hid in the laundry room so I could see my kitchen counters, I'm going to do something much worse than scream and vacuum like a mom on hormone-crack.

I've banned the children to outside the house. Luckily, I draped a comforter over the deck railing and a couple of deck chairs to dry earlier today. They think I made a cool tent just for them. God bless their innocence. All three are happily sitting under it away from mommy and her snappy remarks quickly followed by, "I'm not mad at you. I'm just snappy....for some...reason..."

It's a debate I've gone through the last few months as this day has become a regular part of my life. Do I just break down and tell them mom's hormones are raging and they should just back away as quietly as possible? Or do I keep letting them think I'm absolutely crazy and a bear one day a month?

I think I'll let them back in the house now and spend a few minutes enjoying 5 o'clock on the deck. I'll imagine the surf crashing in the distance and me in a better mood.