It wasn’t very long ago that I was having “just one of those days.” I didn’t want to cook or clean. I felt drained but I had a list, the length of my arm, of the things I needed to get done. It was one of those days that I would say, “I couldn’t get out of my own way.” I wanted to do things and be productive, but my mind and my body wouldn’t cooperate to get stuff done. My brain would say, “Go do some laundry. That’s straightforward.” And my body would reply, “In a minute…I’m pretending to be doing something else right now.”
Brain: Why don’t you pick up some of the kid’s toys?
Body: But I’m suddenly hungry now so I definitely need to get some lunch.
Brain: You should really do the dishes…
Body: I DO need to do the dishes…so I’ll do them right after I look through these pictures that I posted on my Facebook in 2008.
It was exhausting because I knew I was in a slump that day and I knew I wanted to get out of it, but I also knew I just couldn’t and I started feeling bad about it. I started getting upset with myself. On top of that, the kids were just non-stop.
Whining.
Asking for endless things.
Wanting all the snacks.
It was tiring.
Eventually Pierson went for a nap, so I occupied Rae with her favourite TV show and a snack, and I went to the bedroom.
I sat on the bed.
Looked around.
I got back up.
Went into the bathroom.
I splashed my face with water and brushed my hair hoping to wash away the laziness. But, nothing.
It didn’t work.
If there was a word or a sound to describe the way I was feeling it would just be “ugh.”
I managed to inch through the day until that glorious moment when Andrew walked through the door. He was here now – I had help. The kids could talk to him and I could have a few minutes of simply not being needed. I started to feel a bit of relief rush over me. I shared with him that I had had one of those random “ugh” days, that I hadn’t prepared anything for supper, and I instead had thrown some nuggets in the oven. As always, he didn’t care. (He’s a good husband 🙂 )
He ushered the kids out of the kitchen and into the living room (aka: he got them away from me lol), and he started to talk to them and got them to help clean up some toys.
I took the nuggets out of the oven and started to put them on plates and, I don’t know why, but Rae wouldn’t leave me alone. She wouldn’t stop talking to me and trying to show me things while I was just trying to clear my mind for a second as I got their supper.
I started to feel irritated and, truthfully, I wanted to tell her to shut-up. (Is that bad? If it is, then that makes me bad…because that’s what was in my head, and I wanted to say it. Yes. I wanted to tell my 4-year-old daughter to shut-up. I’ve never done it. And I know I wouldn’t……but I really, really wanted to.)
She kept on, and kept on, and I kept getting more and more frustrated. Then guilt about the whole day began taking over my thoughts and I started telling myself that I wouldn’t be so easily irritated had I just gotten some things done earlier! Why did I have to waste my day like that? Why couldn’t I have done a couple of loads of laundry or just picked up the toys? All of these thoughts were storming into my head and I was starting to feel really bad about it.
Then…the cherry was placed on top of the very ugly cake…
Andrew noticed Rae nagging at me and he very gently said to her:
A: Rae, mommy is clearly busy right now, so you have to wait. Just leave her alone for a minute, ok?
R: But I need to show her something.
A: You can show me.
R: But no, I want to show mommy.
A: Rae, you’ve been with mommy all day, I just got home – why don’t you show me what you’re doing?
R: But I want to show mommy!
A: Rae listen, you can show her after. Just leave the kitchen and come with me. Mommy is getting supper right now.
Then Rae, very innocently and within earshot of me, responded with this:
R: She’s not getting supper. They’re just nuggets.
They’re. Just. Nuggets.
Not supper. Just nuggets.
I heard Andrew go quiet behind me. And I could almost feel him looking at me and wondering, “Would this be it?”
Would this be the moment he saw me crawl into the corner cupboard out of embarrassment of failing as a stay-at-home mom? Or would he see me spontaneously combust with rage before his eyes? It was anyone’s guess, really.
So, I spontaneously combusted.
Joking…although that would make for a great story.
I didn’t do either of those things. What I did do was I leaned forward over the counter, rested my forehead on the cupboard, and I just started laughing. Then Andrew laughed.
Because Rae was right. They WERE just nuggets. I hadn’t prepared one of my home cooked meals. On this day, it was just nuggets.
As I thought more about that whole day, I realized that the day was also just a nugget. It was small and insignificant in the grand scheme of all my other days where I shower, cook supper, play with the kids, get laundry done, clean up toys, and vacuum the floors.
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom like myself, someone who works outside the home, or someone who is retired, everyone has days where you feel amazing because you’re being so productive and you can’t imagine ever being unproductive again! You feel unstoppable!
But every now and then, you’re hit with a nugget day.
Those nugget days can take you down and where you once felt like a boss you’re suddenly feeling like you need a nap! It’s easy to let those days get you down and make you feel useless. But try not let that unproductive, lazy, can’t-get-out-of-your-own-way day bother you. You’re not alone! Besides that, you can have a better, more of a “3-course, home cooked meal” kind of day tomorrow. Or maybe the next day 😉
For now, have the nuggets.
You’re Turn:
Has your day ever been ‘a nugget’? How do you get through them?
Share with us in the comment section below (or on social media). You never know how you may encourage someone else!
