Driving Miss Cranky

If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m often guilty of taking the path of least resistance. I’m big on shortcuts when driving. I’m all for “semi-homemade.” And I have composed many passive-aggressive e-mails that have saved me from face-to-face confrontations.

The problem with taking the path of least resistance (let’s call it PLR) is that it never really deals with the problem at hand. Here’s my current dilemma: To clean or not to clean. I am talking, my friends, about my kids’ bedrooms.

It would not be a stretch to say that, at one time or another, my kids' bedrooms could be considered potentially hazardous and toxic. I have, indeed, found items on their bedroom floors that could not be identified without help from a local crime lab. Suffice it to say, they can get really gross.

And it really bugs me. It really bugs me.

So, like any mom, I have approached the messy bedrooms in a few different ways: I have nagged. I nagged until I almost yelled at myself to stop whining. Then I yelled. I yelled until the dog was cowering under the coffee table. I have threatened but I think there’s something in the Geneva Convention on whether or not I could carry out my threats. Finally, I resorted to PLR. I cleaned it myself.

I know, I caved. I totally broke the mom code and just did the deed myself. Yes, I felt like a hypocrite and yes I thought long and hard about the message I was sending. (Welcome to Camp Mom, enjoy the free maid service!)

And no, it wasn’t easy. In fact, it was gross. Somebody needs to invent laundry tongs because going through the clothes on the floor and determining what is dirty and what was tried on and rejected can be downright nasty.

Sure there are privacy issues. Teens deserve privacy, to a certain extent. That is, until most of their underwear is still on their bedroom floor and there is an excellent chance that they’ll go to school “commando” if that laundry isn’t put down the chute.

The thing is, as a mom, you pick and choose what to stress about…at least I do. I could make a huge deal about the messy room. Or, I could take care of it myself from time to time and hope that the de-cluttering message absorbs into them by osmosis. Hey, I can dream, can’t I?

What about you? How have you tackled the great room debate – to clean or not to clean? Does your kid's room drive you nuts?

“Mom, your life is turning into a blog,” said my son the other day.

I had just told my family that I was starting this new writing venture, my third blog. And although my college kid tried to dampen my enthusiasm by suggesting that I was spreading my creativity a little thin, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to grab my laptop and share maternal experiences with a whole new audience of moms.

Right off the bat, I must be perfectly honest and tell you that I can’t take credit for my blog’s name. My daughter suggested it. It perfectly sums up a day in my life. If I’m not cranky, then one of my kids is. They both drive themselves everywhere and we all drive each other crazy.

And the fact that my daughter came up with the title is one of my favorite things about being a mom – watching my kids’ minds develop in weird and wonderful ways. The idea that one of my offspring can say something that doesn’t start with “Mom can I…” is an endless source of amazement to me.

Here at MilwaukeeMoms.com, Driving Miss Cranky will be a bit of an oddity. Most of the regular visitors to this site are firmly entrenched in “the early years.” If this is you, I can confidently say that I’ve been there and I’ve done that…and the best part is I survived!

The other thing I want to tell you parents of young kids is…your kids are going to grow. I know, not really a revelation. But some days it may seem like you’ll be driving a carpool forever and never regain your freedom. Here’s the nasty secret – be careful what you ask for. Very soon, you’ll watch as your baby drives away without you and you’ll be standing there with a whole new set of fears and concerns and the nagging question of what to do with the rest of your life.

When I was a young mom, someone gave me this somewhat patronizing piece of advice: “Little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems.” Back then, nothing seemed as dire as being in a constant state of sleep deprivation.

Today, I can confidently say that being tired was pretty awful. I can also say that I’m still tired, but now it’s because I’ve stayed up waiting for my daughter to come home, rather than rocking her to sleep.

Admit it, you sometimes wonder what your life will look like in 10 or 15 years. Will you have a mind or any money left? Will you be picking up your kids from detention or play practice? Is there life beyond the grandstands? Do you have to choose between a college and a retirement fund or can you have both? Here’s your opportunity to gaze into the future through my eyes. Sure, it might be scary or awful, but no more so than a piano recital in the middle of a busy weekend!

So join me as my husband and I watch our nest (and our driveway) empty and refill at regular intervals. I’ll share the joys and challenges of parenting people that are taller and sometimes smarter than we are. There’s never a dull day, which may prove to be entertaining and informative. Read my blog, learn from my mistakes and then go out and make some mistakes of your own. Isn’t parenthood wonderful?!