Perfection Pending

By Meredith Ethington

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Post-Holiday Reality. I Don’t live in Downton Abbey.

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I’ve decided that I need a cook, a maid, a butler, and someone to dress me. Or in other words, I’ve discovered Downton Abbey this weekend. I know, I’m a little behind.

But, I basically spent every hour I could from Friday night until last night watching as many episodes as was humanly possible of this show about tea, and aristocracy, and British upper-class scandal. Sounds exciting right?

So, while sweeping my floors the other night, I decided it would be really nice to have a cook, a maid, a butler, and someone to dress me. Don’t you think?

But, then I realized, that person is me. I’m the cook, the maid, the butler, and the dresser of tiny little human beings.

But, I did manage to tear myself away from the show a few times to actually be a productive human being. And, interact with my family. My husband has blamed my incredible pain in my neck that I’m experiencing today from watching this show on my Kindle for 3 straight days. I say I just slept wrong. He is a little bitter about the fact that I am swooning over aristocrats and neglecting my house-cleaning duties, and speaking in a British accent daily from time to time.

But, I made up for it yesterday by going on a fun little family hike. It was just what I needed to snap me back to reality.

Nothing like getting a little dirty, and enjoying it and realizing that the Downton Abbey life is not all it’s cracked up to be. Because when you don’t get a little dirty, go hiking, and get a little wet from time to time by sticking your feet in a mountain river, you are missing out. I’m glad my husband was able to pull me away long enough to help me remember that….


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And, watching Chandler go after this yogurt while sitting on a log in the middle of a stream is priceless. These kids were such good little hikers.

And, even though we were hiking with 534 other people on the trail with us with all of their children, it was still special. Can you see the waterfall in that sea of people up behind us? Nothing like getting back to nature with the rest of Salt Lake City’s residents.

Then, the holiday ended and today, I remembered again as I faced a day of laundry, grocery store, getting kids to school, and cooking dinner, that it would still be nice to have a cook, a maid, a butler and someone to dress me. Off to cook dinner…maybe I should pretend it’s a time of war and my staff is away…..

 

 

 

 

 

 


8 Comments

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Comments

  1. momasteblog says

    September 3, 2013 at 6:00 pm

    OMG just the title of this one made me chuckle. Funny, I spent the holiday weekend in a little fantasy land of my own. Sometimes reality can be a bitter pill, but your hike looks sublime! I love the beautiful pic of your entire family. It is just perfect! Happy days!

    Reply
    • fakingpictureperfect says

      September 3, 2013 at 7:24 pm

      It was sublime! 🙂

      Reply
  2. monk-monk says

    September 3, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    Okay, I was lalalalling along with you, I love Downton Abbey, the scenery in your pictures was gorgeous and then BAM the pic of all the other hikers…that’s when I started to laugh. Because seriously? Before that I was imaging your family traipsing through Bambi-land alone, with real quiet, meditative CD soundtrack playing in the background. I love the magic of photos that way, how there’s always something right outside the frame…

    Reply
    • fakingpictureperfect says

      September 3, 2013 at 10:42 pm

      Hahaha! Too funny! It was crazy up there! Literally everyone and their kids and cousins and aunts and uncles were there!

      Reply
  3. Amber Perea says

    September 3, 2013 at 10:41 pm

    I discovered Mad Men this week. I feel the same. Can’t I just watch 5 seasons of a show in peace for goodness sakes? 😉

    Reply
    • fakingpictureperfect says

      September 3, 2013 at 10:50 pm

      Seriously!

      Reply
  4. Valerie says

    September 4, 2013 at 6:35 am

    Love me some Downton Abbey!! 😀 We started watching it when season three was going on, so we bought seasons 1 & 2…caught up and then bought season three! Can’t wait to watch 4!
    We have that backpack carrier btw! 😉

    Reply
  5. Whitney says

    September 5, 2013 at 6:46 am

    I loooooove Downton Abbey! I can’t wait for it to come out this fall. Your family is beautiful, I miss hiking in Utah!

    Reply

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Welcome! I’m Meredith.

Mom. Writer. Diet Coke connoisseur. Born and raised Texan. Lover of real talk and laughter with a hint of sarcasm mixed in.

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Meredith Ethington

perfectpending

Mom • Author • Mental Health Therapist In Training
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Night night! 😤 Night night! 😤
If you missed my last post about how raising teens If you missed my last post about how raising teens can wreck you mentally….wellll this is part of the reason why. So lonely! But we are in this together somehow. 😂 Make sure to check out my latest substack and grab a copy of my book —- The Mother Load!
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I don’t want to try to give off this illusion that I’m control of my life any better than the next person. It’s a shitshow for all of us, and we continue to hide it for fear of what? Being human?"

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WHAT IF THIS IS THE HAPPIEST I’LL EVER BE AND I WHAT IF THIS IS THE HAPPIEST I’LL EVER BE AND I MISS IT? What if I miss the best time of my life. What if it’s right this second?
What if it’s right now while I’m in finals week of grad school, and have a kid that’s sick? 
I already miss so much. The gummy smiles of babes without any teeth. The squeaky voices of 2 year olds. The babbling of a baby that’s just trying so hard to say mama. The grammar mistakes my kids make when they’re talking that I don’t have the heart to correct because I love it too much. 

I miss a lot about those younger years that have already slipped away. My youngest is sick, much like in this picture, but he is too big to snuggle in my arms now when he’s running a fever. 

Today I had the thought, what if this is it? What if this IS the happiest I’ll ever be?
For a moment, I lingered in that thought as I stood over my sink and did the dishes. I started to cry.
Am I missing it? AM I? I felt a tug that maybe I was. Maybe I wasn’t relishing enough, and enjoying enough, and being present enough.
But, then I realized, it will never be ENOUGH. 

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I’ve got to admit - I’m kind of over all of th I’ve got to admit - I’m kind of over all of this. *sweeps arm generally at planet earth*

Look, I’ve never been a half glass full kind of gal. I can ALWAYS find the negative in every situation. 

But, right now it’s easy to say that I’m over it. It being.....

The state of our economy. Social media. People being unemployed. People being racist and homophobic. The debate over politics. People judging people. ALLLLLL of it. 

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But, my guess is you’re reading this right now and realizing you’re over it too. Whatever “it” is in your life.

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