OCD Defended

Earlier I posted an article regarding my OCD tendencies. Since this post was published, I have received all sorts of grief. I now feel I need to defend myself.

I was the Director of a large equestrian operation before I decided to be a stay-at-home Mom. My job consisted of managing a staff of 8, organizing several social events as well as horse shows at the facility, and the overseeing of a 22 horse recreational trail riding operation, all while trying to make a sizable profit each year. I was a busy person, and I loved it. I worked 12-14 hour days six days a week and would have done more, were I allowed to sleep in my office.

When the decision was made that I should become a stay-at-home mom I was reluctant to say the least. I even fought the whole idea with several part-time jobs, volunteer projects and adult education classes. Eventually, I surrendered to the idea of being at home. However, I still view my work here as a career. I made a contract with my husband that in staying home, it would be MY responsibility to maintain the home (power tools are the exception, if it takes a power tool- the Farmer is called in), care for the children, balance the budget, plan and cook the meals, etc., etc. His end of the bargain, in turn, is to keep us able to do all this with a steady income. (I think I have the better end of the bargain, if you ask me.)

Therefore, viewing this as my career, I strive every day to do better. I have been called a the perfect "50's Housewife"(which, I am pretty sure, was an insult), an "OCD", Neurotic, and just plain crazy. I enjoy what I do. I enjoy having a tidy house to entertain in, healthy, well behaved children to take places, sparkling stainless steel sinks, perfectly vacuumed floors, dust free tables, so many baked goods in he freezer that I have a hard time closing the door. Each day I will continue to try to do better.

It Takes It's Toll

I SLEPT! Ok, so last night was not the best night's sleep I have ever had - but we did get more than we have been getting! Aiden slept from 8 p.m. to 1:44 a.m. and, after a quick snack, then slept until 4:45 a.m. (Sarah was up at 5 for water, but that is neither here nor there) I even was up and energized enough to make everyone a big breakfast, watch the sunrise and the Co-Op chisel plow across the road with Aiden and clean the kitchen - all before the Farmer rolled out of bed at 7! Ha! We showed him!
However, I am just now realizing the toll that sleep deprivation has taken. This morning, while replacing my bar of soap in the shower, I noticed something... I had bought Dove bar soap and as an added bonus they were giving away sample bottles with the package of soap. I am always looking for free stuff and my hands have been severely chapped lately. I thought this was great! I have been slathering this stuff on after each time I wash my hands. Thinking it was a little greasy, but do-able, I have used it for three days now, religiously.... Wash hands, glop on greasy goop. Hummm, not showing improvement yet. Wonder why?

Do you notice anything here? Yep, that's right! I have been coating my hands and arms in hand wash - not lotion as I had thought I was doing! I had no idea until I happened to notice this corner of the package where it clearly states "Hand Wash".

I think I will go back to bed now.

Sleep Deprevation

OK - so we are going on four consecutive nights now that Aiden has not slept... How much longer can this last? Even as I sit here now, I can hear him rolling around in his crib. After I was certian that, since being awake since 6:00 a.m., surely by now (11:10 a.m.) he would be so exhausted that he should sleep peacefully for at least an hour... Of course, I was thinking that at 9 a.m. when I attempted to lay him down so that I could get a shower, and he screamed the whole time I was in there, and again at 10 a.m., when, after falling asleep nursing, I was sure he would stay that way when I laid him on the couch to carry out his slumber. (I know, I know, couches are not safe places to lay sleeping babies. But, Hey, I am desperate here and I was in the same room!)

When I say that he is not sleeping - I mean NOT SLEEPING! For example, last night I was up with him five times between the hours of 9 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., again at 2:45 a.m., 4:00 a.m., and 5:15 a.m. And did I mention we were up for the day at 6 a.m.? What happened to that beautiful snoozing baby that would fall into a coma-like slumber for hours while his sister danced circles around him? Did I do something wrong? What has changed? Is it teeth? Is it gas? I could go insane trying to guess. In the meantime, I keep a steady stream of infant's Tylenol handy and slap on the Orajel in hopes of easing some discomfort that surely must be. Maybe tomorrow I will go run a combine... Well, I had better go get the fussing baby and nostalgically remember the days the he resided in my tummy - without a voice.

Soon She Will Take Over

Sarah has been telling her Father that she would be driving that combine one day. That is, without a guiding hand on the wheel, or having to sit in his lap to reach the steering wheel or at least see over the steering wheel. Well, today we are closer to seeing that day. Today she climbed into the cab all by herself. Without Daddy hoisting himself, with her in his arms, up the ladder, making my breath catch in my throat at the sight of him balancing her and holding onto the rail. I was always sure one or both would end up on the ground one day...

Alas, just in time for the arrival of her younger brother to the field (another one to tote up the ladder), Sarah has mastered this climb and no longer needs us. (Insert sobbing Mother here) This night she also spent a great deal of her time steering this massive machine, and might I add that she keeps it in the rows nicely. Watch out, Farmer, you no longer have job security.

What's Wrong With a Little OCD?

Personally, I never considered my daily habits as compulsory. I just figured this is what every stay-at-home mom did. Lately, however, I am realizing that I may have some issues...


In order for one to understand, I believe, they must join me on my journey through a typical day.


6:00 a.m. - Wake with crying baby and change diaper


6:30 a.m. - Feed Baby


6:45 a.m. - Dress sleeping 5 yr. old.


6:55 a.m. - Wake 5 yr. old (trust me, it works much more smoothly in this order!)


7:00 a.m. - Brush 5 yr. old's hair and teeth


7:05 - 7:18 - Feed 5 yr. old, Hubby and fish


7:18 - Persuade 5 yr. old to put on shoes and coat


7:24 - 5 yr. old saunters out to waiting bus


7:28 - change poopy diaper


7:30 - Hubby leaves for the day


Whew! Now we can start my day


7:35 - start a load of laundry


7:45 - clean up dishes left in sink from Hubby's dinner night before (he gets home well after I am asleep and apparently does not know that we own a dishwasher)


8:00 - Puck crying baby from the Bumbo or swing and soothe


8:15 - Soothing not working - try feeding


8:30 - Attempt to place sleeping baby in crib


8:35 - Finish dishes in sink


8:45 - Retrieve crying baby from crib and change diaper


8:48 - place baby in exersaucer in attempt to check emails


9:00 - soothe crying baby


9:15 - Check email with babe in lap and try to post new blog entry (this involves a lot of picking items up off the ground)


9:25 - Change Laundry, and collect more from various bedrooms


9:45 - Feed crying baby and attempt to put sleeping baby back into crib


10:00 - shower


10:05 - Flee shower to retrieve pacifier and reinsert into baby's mouth


10:10 - 10:30 - Dress, hair and (if lucky) makeup, Clean bathroom counter when finished and take towels to laundry


10:35 - try to finish blog entry


10:50 - Listen to talking baby in crib


11:00 - Place baby back into excersaucer and vacuum (VERY entertaining for baby)


Now, here I must insert one of my OCD nuances. Vacuuming to me is serious work. I vacuum every other day, if not daily, for the reason that I do have a baby that does spend quite a bit of time on the floor. We have a dog in the house and if the vacuuming is not done properly, the baby will be donning a beard consisting of baby slobber and dog hair. Therefore, the furniture is moved, the lines are made in evenly matched, horizontal patterns (as not to leave an inch of carpet untouched) and it is done from the innermost end of the room outwards.


OK- Maybe I followed these rules well before Aiden and Sarah were born - but they work here!






11:15 - Feed Baby green beans

11:30 - clean baby

11:35 - play with baby on the floor (to my future detriment, help him learn to crawl and pull up)


12:00 - Lunch Time! Make peanut butter and jelly sandwich
12:05 - Take fussy baby out of swing and place in lap and attempt to finish sandwich
12:07 - Give up on sandwich and down glass of milk instead
12:09 - pick up all the toys on the floor that baby has thrown
12:15 - clean up dishes and wash out sink, being careful to wipe all stainless steel surfaces to a nice shine, Start dishwasher
12:20 - change diaper
12:30 - Sit with crying baby and rock in attempt to get another nap in
12:45 - lay baby in crib
12:48 - Return to computer to finish blog post or add new post
1:10 - listen to bay in crib and wait for whailing to begin
1:15 - Whimpering starts
1:16 - Type faster
1:17 - get baby, change diaper
1:20 - Change laundry
1:25 - Decide to bake cookies
1:30 - mix wet ingrediants while balancing baby in one arm
1:35 - lay baby on floor and mix dry ingrediants
1:40 - turn on oven - oops
1:45 - notice that it is time to meet 5 yr. old at bus - go outside and sit on steps with baby
2:15 - Bus arrives with 5 yr. old
2:20 - Make 5 yr old a snack
2:30 - Lay baby on the floor and play
3:00- 3:45 - Better bake those cookies now
4:00 - sit with nursing baby - Thank you Oprah!
4:30 - baby falls asleep in arms, notice dust on livingroom tables
4:45 - baby wakes
4:46- dust livingroom
5:00 - hummmm - supper?
5:15 - Supper is decided and begun
5:30 - Put away laundry
5:35 - Empty Dishwasher
5:45 - Set table and serve dinner
6:00 - Clean table and wash pots and pans
6:15 - Color with 5 yr. old
6:30 - throw children into bath, pretend 5 yr. old is a mermaid
6:45 - Dry and dress baby for bed
7:00 - Dry and dress 5 yr. old for bed, brush teeth and hair
7:30 - Read stories
7:40 - get fresh water for 5 yr old - cold, with ice
7:45- Take 5 yr. old to bathroom
7:50 - sit baby on floor and play
8:30 - baby starts to show signs of tiring
9:30 - nurse baby and put to bed
9:35 - Replace pacifier in baby's mouth
9:45 - Replace pacifier in baby's mouth
10:00 - Replace pacifier in baby's mouth
10:30 - Coast is clear - Dive into bed
12:15 - Replace pacifier in baby's mouth

Creepy Night

Finally, the night we have been waiting for has arrived! As I have mentioned, Halloween is one of my favorite times of year. I am not sure whether it is the excitement of dressing up, the ginormous amounts of sugar threatening to throw us all into a diabetic coma before the night is through, or the thought that maybe, just maybe, we might not be alone in the world on this particular night...oooo....I can hear the spooks now... I have also passed this love affair with Halloween down to my eldest child. She gets just as excited as I do, and together we make quite the giggling pair.

This year was the first year we did not Trick-or-Teat in our own neighborhood, but instead went to a neighboring town. There were three reasons for doing this: Nana and Papa live in this town, and we have never been able to trick-or-treat their house, the friends that we would be trick-or-treating with live in this town also, (OK - Now the REAL reason) and there was the most awesome of all Halloween houses just down the street from both Nana and Papa and our friend's house! Now, we are not just talking a few ghosts hanging from trees and a jack-o-lantern here... We are talking the Queen Mother of all decorations!

The man (shown below without his legs) who owns the house designs props for the movie industry and has therefore designed every display you will see below. It is a truly amazing experience! They put out their displays two weeks ahead of Halloween and tear them down the night of Halloween. Why only have all this up for such a short time, you ask? Well, it is because they cause a traffic jam on their street two blocks long when the displays are in action! It is crazy the amount of people that come out to see this attraction. Buses even ship kids in from across town just to Trick-or-Treat at this house.

Here is Sarah trying to decide if she is going to be scared or not...I think the coffin won.

The owner of the house. He is sitting at a mirrored table with a sign that reads: Missing, one pair of legs, last seen wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes, if found please return.

Back from the grave - this escapee is trying to make a run for it. Boy, we were sure glad that fence was there!
The front yard.

She looks terrified, doesn't she? My little princess. Oh yea, by the way, she ditched the Ladybug costume, told me it had been seen already and she needed something new.
Alien in a tube.


Another house nearby. I would hate to live near the house above and have to try to compete...