This year I’m participating in Ali Edwards’ One Little Word workshop. My word is “clear.” All of my OLW posts are here.
As I worked on June’s One Little Word prompt, I talked about feeling rudderless and a bit stuck in a rut…and then, within a week or two of writing those words, we decided to buy a house and move. Talk about a shake up! One of the things that fell by the wayside was my OLW effort, but with the chaos of the move (mostly) behind me, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to regroup and focus heading into the last two months of 2016. Jumping back into OLW is an important part of that. From now on I’ve got 5 prompts remaining and about 9 weeks left in the year, so I can look forward to tackling a new prompt every 1.5-2 weeks (or maybe 2 prompts in one sitting).
“July” is all about manifestos and thinking about what I need to hear most right now. I’ve been having a rough time since our move, but it’s not related to the move itself. Instead, I think it’s just the craziness of dealing with Charlotte at this age. She’s no longer a baby, but she’s not really a full toddler either. She has popped out three new teeth in the last couple weeks. She has been sick more often than not since early October. She still isn’t taking to the sippy cup, preferring to throw it on the floor and leaving me (probably irrationally) worried about dehydration. She comes home from daycare exhausted and cranky, not yet truly adjusted to a single nap each day. Her mood changes at the slightest provocation, from giggling to sobbing. And I am struggling.
I remember having a similarly rough time around the 1-year mark with Emma; what I don’t remember is how I got past it. I suppose she just got older and we moved naturally into a different phase of life. Some part of me knows that will happen again this time with Charlotte, but the other part of me is just really, really frustrated, and that frustration is seeping into all areas of my life. I’m tired all the time. I snipe at Jose. I lose my patience with Emma. I leave Charlotte crying on the floor in order to just have my hands to myself for a moment.
So what I really need to hear most right now is a nice reminder that we are all on the same team, and we all want the same things. Charlotte’s on my team. Emma’s on my team. And most of all, Jose is on my team. (The paper I used for the background in my album page for “July” is the same paper I used in our wedding invitations 7.5 years ago.)
As I write this post on a Sunday afternoon, Charlotte once again has a fever and is in the middle of a desperately needed nap. She has woken up approximately every 15 minutes and cried for 5 more before going back to sleep. And I am tired. Just very tired.
Maybe I should just tape this page to my wall for a while.
All this shall pass ❤️
I love your “We’re all on the same team” reminder. Sometimes it’s hard to remember.
Hello, Sarah. You have my empathy on all fronts. Having your quilting passion as an outlet certainly helps, but sometimes that isn’t enough when things feel overwhelming.
If I am out of line with this following bit, I do apologize. But reading about little Charlotte makes me wonder if perhaps there is something more systemic happening with her. Or perhaps something like an inner ear issue? Young children can be hard to read, especially with regard to their health. Again, you have my empathy and with luck, “this too shall pass.”
I’m not offended by your suggestion. I do think that this is just a rough phase though, not an indication of something bigger. I often have a tendency to use my blog as a means of complaining or venting frustration, and I have indeed been having a difficult couple months. Charlotte’s stage of development is a hard one, and that adds to my overall mood. I truly think that “this too shall pass” is all we need right now. 🙂