Getting Real

I'm a mess. If I could climb inside a box right now and not come out until March, I would.

I know I've been mentioning it. Saying it. Screaming it! But now I really want to tell you what's on my plate in hopes there will be some leniency and mercy from my peers. Also, it helps me to just write it down.

I get lots of questions about how I keep up with everything: blog, house, mommy, projects, Comfort Quilters, swaps, bees. The truth is, I don't. I have an amazing husband who helps me immensely. He makes runs to JoAnn's to buy me the 10" zipper because I was a dummy and got the 8". He cleans the house and watches the baby on his days off so I can go hide in my hole and create. He does late night Sonic runs and early morning Starbucks runs and does it all with a smile on his face because he loves me and wants me to do what I love. I'm spoiled. I know that.

Brent has been studying non-stop for the past three weeks for a big certification that will further his skills in his field and (BONUS!) land him a promotion at work. This week is the culmination of his preparation. He is taking part in a boot camp to get him ready for his super big test on Sunday. Brent will need to leave the house at 6am every morning and will not return until 9:30 or so every evening this week. Saturday he will be in class. Sunday is the six hour test. Because of this, I have been without my support system for a couple weeks and this week is going to be even worse.

I knew the month of February would be a challenge when signing up for all my swaps and bees but I figured I would be able to time manage enough to get everything comepleted on time, and I have!! At least, I did, until Vera decided to suck and have tension problems. I don't have a back up machine and I am a 25 year old with equally young friends who don't sew. There aren't any "borrow-able" machines in my life, so I'm trying to make do, but I didn't plan on all the unpicking February would bring and I've gotten behind; WAY behind.

Now that the wedding is over and there aren't hair pieces or center pieces or decorations to make, I am feeling the pressure to complete all my other February commitments, which include a Candyland block for Beejeebers Bee (not started), a pouch for Mouthy Stitches (completed but I am too embarassed to send it to my partner for fear she will hate it and my credibility will be ruined, so I need to start over), my sister's birthday gift (her birthday is the 24th and I'm not even half finished), and my mystery project (almost finished, but it's a big-un and I don't think I will have it finished before February is over). I'm not including the things that can wait, like my QAL blocks which I LOVE making but don't have the time to do.

Life will slow down in March. I will have my man back and our little family will begin to function again properly and all the one-time stresses (Mouthy Stitches, Erika's wedding, birthdays, etc) will be things of the past. That's why I signed up for so much to begin with. I knew it would only be crazy RIGHT NOW and that I would be able to make it through. I'm just struggling to get there.

I hope you all don't mind my stress-induced pity party. I love you all and want to create the very best for you, but to get caught up, I think it will be best if I take a day or two off to focus all my energy on catching up.

Also, thank you all so much for the birthday wishes! I took my car in to the shop, went to lunch with my mom and a dear family friend, I got dinner with my OTHER soon-to-be-wed friend, Melody, so we could talk wedding and decorations and life, and I rounded out the evening teaching yet another friend how to sew. She's getting a sewing machine for her birthday next week and wanted to learn a few little tid bits before deciding on the perfect machine. Oh yeah! And my super sweet, awesome mom came over for an hour and helped me clean my house a bit. It was a productive day! Just my kind!

Love you all. See you in a couple days!