Thursday, December 3, 2009

"Get Shannon's Toukas In Gear" Party...

SO- retail therapy has been fulfilling...and... filling.  Literally. Filling up this small little castle.  I don't think I can say there is much.. if anything.. that we "NEED"- not anymore. Floor to ceiling. Every surface. Tucked under every piece of furniture..is ... STUFF.  Stuff for traveling to Ethiopia.  Stuff for a 2-3 year old.  Stuff  stuff everywhere. 

"Overboard", may be a valid accusation.

So much stuff.. that I don't dare take out all the gov't forms that I'm supposed to have ready to travel.. in fear I'll immediately lose them amongst the other stuff.  I haven't cooked, literally in over a month. And yet the dishes from the last time I did are still on the side board.  The sink is sparkling clean and empty. No dishes in there. Showing that beneath this stuff- it is clean. It's just ... full. Disorganized. Unprepared.

UNPREPARED!!!!

If I think about it I panic.  So I don't think. Although I did realize.. I need help. And I've asked for it.  Even when I get 'the call' to travel with 4 weeks notice... I'd never pull this off by myself. And I'd never feel comfortable with it if I did.

Work is FULL right now. Stress and pressure.  But preparing a "Leave plan"- plus getting things done ahead of time - plus teaching others to do stuff that can't wait while I'm gone - plus prioritizing what can wait and what can't--- that is another full time job right now.  Now go and add in the preparing to travel to Africa for 2 weeks and preparing to have a 2 year old in the house.

Scrambled Eggs. That is my brain.  Actually probably more of a blend of Scrambled egg and swiss cheese- many times I'm in the midst of sentence and completely forget what I was talking about...   They warned me about 'mommy brain'... I never thought it'd start this early.

So- I've bribed my 3 of my nearest and dearest with food and *beverage* to come over and help me on Friday night. They are all "take the bull by the horns" people so they will make decisions that I would hemm and haw over.({insert huge sigh of relief})   I also asked Ashlee, a former *traveler* to join in the confusion.  Poor thing.. she's got no idea what she's in for if she shows up....

Friends.

They are like the best comfort food.

There is no therapy- like REAL FRIEND's COMING FOR A VISIT!

(and just to be clear... all food will be take out as literally the sideboard, table,  island and stove are covered with... you guessed it... stuff).

4 comments:

InventingLiz said...

One of the hardest things I have had to learn as part of this adoption process is to accept help from other people. But I've been practicing!

And isn't funny how you can have a whole lot of STUFF and yet still be unprepared? I keep wondering what I've been doing for the last year, because clearly I wasn't actually getting prepared!

kn said...

What a wonderful night Friday will be! What can be more wonderful than preparing for the arrival of a wee one? I'm so happy for you!

Gretchen said...

This post was too funny. Give me a few months and I will have posts like this! You reminded me of that old commercial: This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. I think your's would show the scrambled egg and would say: This is your brain. This is your brain before you travel to become a Mommy! ;0)

Shauna said...

Perfect.. You need friends like that and just help you... I'm excited to follow your journey!