I have a perfect pantry. I have matching jars. I have matching baskets. There are shelves on which certain things sit. Together. It is small and perfectly formed. It is organised. It is tidy. It is utterly gorgeous. And it is the only place in our house like it.
You see, we are all project people. We have great ‘start-up’ abilities and not such good ‘follow through.’ We do finish things, but it takes longer than anyone else – because we tend to go off on tangents. We think we can multi-task when all evidence points to the contrary. This creates an interesting home.
Our kitchen, for example, took nine years for my husband to renovate, and the rest of the house is a work in progress. We walk around piles of tools, and bits of wood are stacked next to me as I type. Craig is an archer. Archery equipment does not fit tidily in neat rows. There are a variety of things which fall on my head when I get too close to his archery cupboard. Most of them sharp and pointy.
I like handcrafts, and experiment with a variety of materials. I have a half started business, and two manuscripts in the bottom drawer. I also enjoy art and the boys at least pretend they do too. We own a guitar and a piano, which one or another of us tinkers with most days.
The boys, yes even the Butterfly toddler, dabble with hand tools. Today, we have a half-finished boat, a half-finished go-kart, and a half-finished hut in our back-yard. Several nails protrude from a spare piece of wood: where the Butterfly decided to help my husband.
There are inside boy projects too, they mostly involve cardboard boxes or Lego. All the inside projects tend to move from room to room, sort of like heat-seeking devices seeking space instead, as in I’ve messed up my own room – where can I go next…The house and yard feel a bit out of control and chaotic. Fun, interesting, creative and chaotic.
Being busy with our projects and the real world, means we all tend to suffer from domestic blindness, which the fictional Van Der Zwet family dictionary is defined as:
domestic blindness adv 1. the inability to see tasks which need to be completed around the house, despite walking past them, over them or around them for months. adv 2 the inability to take responsibility for mundane tasks, because if I wait long enough someone else might do them and I can carry on with my current project(s).
Projects have taken over our house. Disorganisation reigns. Yesterday, being brave, I insanely set a goal of sorting one pile of papers from beginning to end. I set the timer on the microwave. 10 minutes – concentrate and complete task. I’m not sure who I was trying to convince but the same piles of paper are still on my desk. Sigh.
Which all leads me to suspect I was meant to have been born a Duchess. At the very least, I think, I was meant to have staff. I’m sure people can’t be serious when they suggest that I am the one who is meant to organise all the stuff. I need time for my projects! I need an extra 24 hours each day or the help of a good fairy.
a good fairy n a mythical creature who, when we aren’t looking: comes and tidies the house; does the washing; buys the groceries; and does all the other tasks, which have mounted up due to domestic blindness (see above).
It wasn’t always like this. Once there were only two adults and a very small baby living here. Once we were organised, always project-ing, but organised. I knew where things were. It was lovely.
So, sometimes I hide in my tiny and perfectly formed pantry – it reminds me of who I was and hopefully who I will become again. One day.
Is anyone else a failed multi-tasker? Where do you hide, when it all gets too much?
(That’s our nine-year-old Hare hiding under the washing in the picture.)
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Karyn Van Der Zwet of Napier, New Zealand. Karyn can also be found on her blog, kloppenmum.
This photo is attributed to Karyn Van Der Zwet
Great post. Believe it or not there is a name for this…Sidetracked Home Executives or SHE’s. I know because I’m one of them. To help with this issue, check out http://www.flylady.net for some awesome ways to stay on track and get organized by attacking just a little bit every day. It all starts with believe it or not, a shiny sink! Trust me, follow the advice, the FlyLady and her ways really can help. –Meg
I’m a SHE! How cool that there’s a label for me. 🙂 Yes, I’m sure you’re right, a little every day would go a long way. Thanks for the link, too. 🙂
Karyn,
Too funny!!! I am the clutterer, but I married a declutterer. Otherwise, I’d be hiding in my pantry, too! Although, in reverse, my pantry is very disorganized, and I don’t think it’s big enough for me to fit in it!!
Just be who you are and enjoy playing with life! 🙂 Sometimes too much organization doesn’t breed enough creativity!
Veronica Samuels 🙂
My pantry is more cluttered than the rest of the home 🙂
“You have a home, you dont have a museum” – My brother used to say that to my mom when we were children and now I agree 😉
I agree with your brother too! We definitely don’t have a museum for a house. Thanks for the comment.:)
It *is* funny, when it’s not annoying 😉 But the most frustrating thing for me, Veronica, is that I used to be the declutterer!
Oops this was meant to go under Veronica’s comment. blush.
Sounds like our home, a relaxing place with inviting projects right at hand. It’ll get neater as the years go by. The kids’ interests will take them farther away from home and you’ll be glad that you had your priorities on what allowed each of you to flourish.
Thanks Laura. Yes, it is very relaxing, and I know it will change – it’s just some days make me a little anxious…luckily that passes. 😉 And I *am* pleased they have the chance to be children.
I love this post. You are so honest and funny! I am an insane de-clutterer but i am living with 3 male clutters, so they win. And we moved 6 months back so we got to see all the stuff and move it! I had this fear come over me yesterday when I thought, “I’m getting used to boxed around. I am getting used to having ‘junk’ rooms. I am no longer prioritizing the last of the unpacking. Remember all those runs to the dump or charitable donation sights I was going to take things to? What happened?!?!?!” oh well, at least we all have clean underwear to put in each day, even if it’s pulled directly from the clean clothes pile. 😉
Oops! Sorry for numerous typos in that last comment. I am using my phone for this and can’t scroll back.
Tara, I used to be the insane declutterer too, but the men folk and my nappy-brain sort of hijacked the house! Mee too with the washing, I spend mornings running around saying…take the clothes from the sofa -not from your drawers.;)
What an honest and sincere post, Karyn! It is nice to know that we are all the same. My girls are still young so I can reign in the clutter. Although big girl likes to sprawl, I do my best to keep it contained while letting her express her creativity. We recently moved from a flat to a house that has a basement. So now I have somewhere to hide the clutter. And note, 8 months later and there are still boxes that have not been unpacked 🙂
I like the idea of somewhere to hide the clutter, but for now I’m so looking forward to having a big ‘reign in’ of our gear.I never intended to live this way – it just happened. 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
I love your article! It’s so true but you’ve written it in a way that makes it fun! I love how there are numerous projects in your house that is half done. Just imagine what your house will look like when it’s all done. It’s the journey that matters not the destination by the way. I like it that you’re enjoying life. Keep it up!
There is certainly a lot of ‘journey’ at our house! And actually I love that there’s lots going on…it just would be lovely to feel a little more under control. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
I tell myself that the mess is a sign of a well-lived life in order to keep my sanity intact or else I would be diving off the roof. Great post that just about the entire population can relate to….and those that can’t…we don’t like them anyhow 🙂
I tell myself the very same thing…five lives living well. LOL @ the last line in your comment, and please – no roof diving!
Great read! My husband is the ultimate clutterer….it’s horrible. He doesn’t change his clothes in one room….he does it throughout the house so I have to follow a trail of clothing to pick up. WHY can he not just change in our nice walk-in closet and use the LAUNDRY BASKET!?!?! He collects endless gadgets and magazines, newspapers, books, anything and everything and rarely uses these items, just leaves them everywhere. Ugh. I am the opposite. 🙂
What is it about clothing?!! Our boys scatter their clothing too, and my hubby does the – worn it once, not really dirty, don’t know what to do with it – thing on the bedroom floor…arrggghhh. We are just at the start of the sorting out and reorganising stage, and it feels good.
*Raises hand* Yes! Me!
And it’s something that I LOATHE! Our family is creative like yours (which I love) but the mess! Ohmyfreakinggod the MESS! My husband and I each have our own boiling points with the mess and then we do a sort-clean-straightening up sort of thing. But like your pantry? I only have my newly cleaned mud room to turn to most days!
*Sigh* thanks for normalizing the whole thing! Great post, phenomenal title!
Pleased you have a mud-room to hide in Galit! I loathe the mess too, and love the creativity…Now to find a good fairy to help me out.;)
Great post!! Our house is also a work in progress!! 🙂