The view from the ‘burbs

We are in maintenance mode, it is one of those rare times in the life of a young family when mom is not pregnant or nursing, no child is ill or in a state of emotional crisis, there are no moves or career changes being contemplated.  We are just living our real, day to day life.  Let me tell ya, it is great, there are date nights and casual entertaining and some minor redecorating going on, but here in grown up land, maintenance is a lot more work than I thought!

There is a journal from the time of the revolution in which a midwife returns home and writes “my house is up in arms against me!”  I feel that way too!  The weeds are taking over, the window trims need painting, and about once a week something (or in our case, someone) breaks and requires a several hundred dollar service call and some schedule shuffling for appointments.  Broken arms are almost healed, we had new brakes in the car last week, and this morning it is the garbage disposal, which will move to the top of the priority list and bump drapery fabric, yet again, to the “some day” category.

I know that we are solidly in “maintenance mode” because we get through each of these things without my having some sort of emotional breakdown, school work continues, kids are driven to little league and ballet, we just press through.  I don’t mean to whine, we feel blessed that we are able to pay our bills each month, especially with six children to feed and co-pay for.  Still, older, wiser readers, is it just a fact of life that “someday” never comes?  How does one keep time and room for the important things when the urgent keeps rearing it’s ugly, expensive head?  How does one feel peace and gratitude in a house where the “to-do” list is a mile long?   How to keep spousal bickering at bay when it is too easy to make these things someone else’s fault?