Wednesday, March 11, 2009

You can't complain about free help, but I'm going to anyway

Alternate title, "why I haven't posted my weekly thankful thursday yet".

My husband is out of town for a 2 week business trip - and the whining shall commence now...

My Mom came over last night to help me out, so that I could attend a parenting class on "guilt free parenting" - post on that upcoming. She spent the night to help me with the kids in the morning, so I could get to work. At least that was the idea.

We all got up this morning and my Mom went to the bathroom. The girls and I went out to the kitchen for breakfast. I made everyone breakfast. She was still in the bathroom. I started getting lunches ready. She finally came out, ate and then started unloading my dishwasher. I know she was trying to be helpful, but that's not what I needed help with at that moment. I asked her if she could help get the kids going instead, but she said "oh, there's just a few dishes left", and she finished. Only thing, is that she put about half of the dishes on the counter because she didn't know where they went. I needed counter space to finish the girls' lunches, so as I frantically put away the dishes sitting on the counter, I dropped two glass bowls and they shattered all over the kitchen floor. At that point, I yelled at everyone to get out of the kitchen, and asked my Mom to help get the kids dressed. I cut my finger open cleaning up the glass, so after all the blood and glass was cleaned up, I went back to see how the dressing was progressing. Seesa was wearing three shirts and Milly was still in her pajama top - ok, good enough. I took them in the bathroom to pull their hair out of their faces and help them brush their teeth. Then I asked my Mom if she could get them off to preschool for me. She said, "ok, just let me brush my hair". So, I got their shoes and jackets on, collected the lunches, negotiated stuffed toys they wanted to take to preschool... until my Mom finally came out to take them off. My hands that is.

My attempt to save an hour in the morning by having my Mom help out... resulted in adding an hour to my morning. Thank God I could conference into my first meeting from the road. I guess being retired, you sort of forget the rush of getting everyone going in the mornings. My first clue should have been when she kept asking me if I ever watch "The View". Ah, no Mom. I'm usually in meetings at work at ten in the morning.

12 comments:

rachel... said...

Well, that will teach you to ask for help!

Mothers are nothing if not masters of multi-tasking and also of twisting a kind gesture into something to b*tch about! ;)

Christy said...

I think you are totally allowed to complain about free help. I hope your finger is better - I just sliced my own open on the Cuisinart a few days ago and it still aches. I love that you think one kid in half pjs and one in three shirts is good enough for school. So funny!!

2 Brits, 2 Yanks, 2 Dogs said...

Firstly I am intrigued about the guilt free parenting class - that is soooo what I need.

My husband is away to at the moment. He has been gone a month this year and it is only march - ugh!

I think I remember your sister writing a post on how "helpful" your mum was on the babysitting front!

Saved by Grace said...

Sounds a lot like when I ask my husband to help out when there is a time crunch. HIS priorites and MY priorities about WHAT needs to be done WHEN are very different. Why can't everyone just think like me?

Anonymous said...

Oh Jeesh. I'm glad she was TRYING to help, but that sounds like a total fiasco!

Hope your finger's on the mend - finger bandaids leave a lot to be desired!

Anonymous said...

Ouch. That sounds like it was extra frustrating. You dealt with it kindly, I think.
I don't think I am a nasty person, but I have been known to make my own mother cry when she was only trying to help - in the wrong way. Under the circumstances you describe I would probably have been spitting nails ;-)

Julia@SometimesLucid said...

When my parents come to visit for the weekend, they are always trying to "help". Even when they tell me to go relax, they are always nice enough to find projects for me to do while I'm relaxing, like looking through the pile of bills my mom was nice enough to bring in to the bedroom.

Sigh! I guess retired people really AREN'T on the same schedule as we are.

Anonymous said...

Did you at least feel guilty for yelling at everyone?

Melissa said...

Oh, my mom was the same way. She never understood that it didn't matter what she wanted to do for me, it was what I need her to do for me. Sigh...

I only hope that I don't develop the same problem when I get older.

Unknown said...

Sounds like she tried but that it was a chaotic morning. That conference does sound interesting though.

leigh said...

Oh, sorry you had a rough morning. My MIL AND my husband stack clean things on the counters since they don't know where they go. It drives me crazy. By the time I get around to it, I assume they're dirty and have to wash it again.

Jessica said...

The joys of mothers eh... but we know we will never be like that when we are older...

I rather do everything myself then have help always seems like more work, more stress more fustration...

 

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