November 23, 2020
“I can’t say I’m an inspirational mother. Instead of wise aphorisms or encouragements, my children will remember things like ‘I’m not an octopus,’ and, ‘Your brother’s head is not a weapon.'”
-Chel Owens
Tag: About Me
November 2, 2020
“I had one life goal: to grow up and never do chores again. …I’m still holding out for this one.”
-Chel Owens
Breaks, Momming, Blogging
October 14, 2020
Ironically, I didn’t go so far between posting back when I was far busier. The problem is that, last year, I made a goal that never saw fruition: to be nominated for my friends’ Blogger’s Bash. So, I wrote every day. I posted tips, quotes, advice, etc.
And, I spent the sleepless days and nights in nauseated discomfort from being pregnant.
Still, the blog looked good. And, on the plus side, I was able to proudly display my every-day-writingness for things like applying for a writing job (that fell through), and applying for more recent jobs (those also fell through).
What does that leave me with?
A baby -well, nearly a toddler. Today, as I put clothes into my dresser that he pulled out again, I realized where daily-bloggingness had gone: right where all the socks and underpants were now going. Even while I was pregnant and busy, my children were older. When they slept, they slept (mostly). When I wanted a break, I could do things like send them outside or put on a Minecraft video.
So, I’m not sure where this mom blog will go. Perhaps, like with the children, it will see occasional nourishment and care*. Perhaps I’ll try scheduling poems again. Or, perhaps I’ll pop in now and then to feel guilty that, again like with the children, I’m just not telling the blog I love it enough*.
For those loyal, wonderful, amazing, beautiful, handsome, intelligent people still following, thank you. You are all of the previously-listed attributes and more.
©2020 Chel Owens
*Joking.
*Still joking.
I Had My Baby!
January 2, 2020
Just a little heads-up: I delivered my fifth baby boy on December 2, 2019 at 1344. He weighed 6 lbs, 4 oz and measured 19 inches long.
He’s much smaller than he seems in the picture, but we’re a month along and doing fine.
The Dishes and Other Evils
August 2, 2019
D’ya know that question everyone likes to ask children?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
There’s a trend lately of adults complaining about no direction in life. To be funny, they/we have coined the term ‘adulting.’ I see t-shirts with the word on it, as in “Adulting is Hard,” or “Tried Adulting Today / Gave Up.”
Why are we all so bummed out about responsibility? My theory is that others have discovered what I did once I moved out: my life goal could never work. See, what I wanted to ‘be’ when I grew up was a lazy sod. I wanted to never have to do chores again.
Whenever my parents assigned us clothes-folding (my own!), dishes-washing (after my mom made dinner every night!), or sock-mating (which we were paid to do!); I assumed they were sadistic monsters whose only desire was to watch us squirm and suffer. It never occurred to me that chores needed to be done. Certainly I never thought I contributed to a mess that needed cleaning.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m as intelligent as I hope.
Because, well…. I still hold out for my goals. I still want to do what I want while someone else gets dirty. Let me tell you, nothing builds resentment quite as quickly as unreasonable expectations.
But I’ve got some working solutions, like:
- Training the kids for their own future lives (AKA hounding the kids every few minutes to do their chores).
- Explaining to my husband and ‘help-meet’ that maintaining a house and family is a team effort (AKA nagging).
- Hiring out work when we can afford it (AKA asking for a day’s maid as a birthday present).
- Accepting how things are (AKA giving up, piling up, until blowing up and cleaning the house top to bottom).
Good thing there’s chocolate.
©2019 Chelsea Owens
I Didn't Want to Be a Mother 