Some Lessons Learned

A few of the things I learned as we closed out 2009 and started into 2010~

1. Pay attention and hold on when you are going down the stairs with a broom

because if you don't, you might get tangled up with the broom and fall down the stairs. And break your hand and one bone in your arm and your elbow. And jam your toe. And pull or tear something in your other elbow. And bruise yourself in several other places. And have surgery on your hand coming soon.

2. You really should strive to be 90% ready for Christmas the first week of December

because if you do fall down the stairs the first week of December and are limping and swollen and hauling around a huge cast and have to keep your arm OVER your head for two full weeks, if you have not finished decorating and have not even STARTED Christmas shopping, you will be very sorry that you are not one of those on-top-of-it people who are ready for Christmas.

3. Sometimes you have to let go of your perfectionist, controlling ideas and plans

and just say, "yes, that's good enough" ~ and then really enjoy the "good enough." (And, hopefully, you can always remember this lesson so that you do not get crazy and obsessive about events and occasions in the future.)

4. Your haircut is important - spend the money to go to a really good stylist - and go often

because if you do fall down the stairs and are one-handed for awhile, you need a cut that is manageable. If you have not gotten your hair cut in months, and have a long, droopy look you will be unhappy. And you will look like a scarecrow when you try to do your hair.

If you do find yourself in this scarecrow situation, go to a really good stylist and tell him that you need a cut that can be managed with one hand. Then - be patient - in a couple of weeks you will have figured out little tricks for drying and curling with one hand, and you will get to the point that you can achieve a moderate degree of success most days. Most. And on those other days, just stay at home in your pj's all day, claiming that your arm is really hurting, and send your kids out to do your errands.

5. While we are on the subject of hair -

do not try to use a round brush to blow dry your hair if you are one-handed. Unless your mom is in town for Christmas and can disentangle you.

6. You do not have to do it all!

It will not be easy to get ready with one arm that is also hurt. It will take forever to get ready to leave the house. It is ok to choose to skip some functions or events that you would normally go to. And it is ok if you look around your house and see the piles growing. Because eventually you will feel better and be able to do a little more. You do not have to be superwoman and do it all to perfection. (This should apply to all of us all the time.)

7. God might just want you to slow down and reorganize your time and priorities

He might just want you to simplify a little bit.

8. And God might be reminding you that you are supposed to also take care of yourself

because as mothers we tend to put ourselves at the bottom of the list and do not even keep up with some of our basic needs. So take your vitamins, get a good haircut, and spend some money on a couple of new shirts that will go over your cast - this will make you SO very happy. (Of course, I am not saying to put yourself first and become all witchy - just take care of yourself. It will actually help you to be able to care for your family even better.)

9. Just because you can type at a reasonable speed without looking at the keyboard, does NOT mean that you know where the letters are on the keyboard

but after typing with one hand for awhile, you will learn where the letters are and get surprisingly quick at one-handed typing. Which will also help you when you are using your new Droid phone with TWO nifty qwerty keypads!

10. Speaking of Droids -

can I just tell you that I LOVE having a phone with 2 qwerty keypads, TONS of apps that I can download in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping, and INTERNET ACCESS everywhere I go - anytime I want!!!!! And calendars to organize myself and set event reminders, and places to store all kinds of contact information, and fun background pictures, Christmas trees and mantles I can DECORATE, games like Bejeweled that I can play when I am waiting for my son at the dentist or orthodontist, and the list goes on...

Thank you again to my hubby - this was a great Christmas present!

11. Speaking of typing, if you abandon your poor little blog for almost 2 months, it will forgive you and welcome you back with open armS (because it is not in a cast)

and you will be very happy to be reunited.

12. 14 year old sons who happen to have the gift of service can be an amazing blessing

because they will constantly be noticing that you need a drink refill, will be able to tell that you need some tylenol and bring it to you without being asked, will jump up and open the back door when they see that you are having a hot flash, and can decorate a beautiful Christmas tree (since you did not get all your trees up before you fell down the stairs)!

13. A daughter who has worked with horses for several years can be very efficient at wrapping ace bandages when you are still in a temporary splint before your cast goes on. And she will be very efficient at taping your arm up in a plastic bag so you can take a shower.

When you tell her that she is quick and efficient, she will tell you that she has wrapped a lot of horses legs. (Do you think that means she is comparing me to a horse? Let's just not ask her that question, okay?)

14. It is very handy to have another daughter that has worked at Dream Dinners for years and is very efficient in the kitchen

and is a very good cook! And did NOT learn her skills from a horse.

I am sure that I can think of many more lessons learned, but it has taken me all morning to do this post (even though I am getting much faster at typing one-handed). My hubby is flying back into town today. I am still in my pj's. I should probably go get dressed, and turn the lights on, and open the blinds before he gets home.

Shannon