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JennGM
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| Posted: Aug 11 2008 at 8:05pm | IP Logged
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What do you do? Are you active or need to retreat?
I find I clean my kitchen. First it's countertops, but when I'm really distracted, frustrated, thinking things through, I clean, top to bottom.
But my favorite activity is to scrub pots and pans. I get that Brillo and scrub, scrub, scrub inside and outside. It's so satisfying to scrub that old baked on grease and bring the old pans shining like new. I find the water, bubbles, and scrubbing clear my head. I think things through. Even though I'm doing an activity in the middle of family life, it's my little "retreat".
And plus, when I leave that pot or pan, it stays clean for a while, unlike that kitchen sink that gets filled up right away. 
So, do you have any habits like this?
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Mary G
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| Posted: Aug 11 2008 at 8:18pm | IP Logged
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....ummmm....knitting  OR designing 
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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amyable
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| Posted: Aug 11 2008 at 8:21pm | IP Logged
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Lately, I really need to retreat. I ask dh for a 10 minute break and go stare out my window into the backyard. If I'm lucky, I'll see some wildlife. Oh, and I lock the door.  And try to drown out the chorus of "Mommy? Are you in there Mommy? Can I come in Mommy? Mommy??" coming from the other side of the door by my 3yo.
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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JennGM
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| Posted: Aug 11 2008 at 8:25pm | IP Logged
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Mary, I long for the days! When I sit down with the kids still around it's not my time anymore! I'm a sitting target!
amyable wrote:
| Lately, I really need to retreat. I ask dh for a 10 minute break and go stare out my window into the backyard. If I'm lucky, I'll see some wildlife. Oh, and I lock the door. And try to drown out the chorus of "Mommy? Are you in there Mommy? Can I come in Mommy? Mommy??" coming from the other side of the door by my 3yo. |
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Oh, Amy, that was so me today. Almost in tears before dinner. I just kept thinking Greta Garbo's quote "I want to be alone."
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~Rachel~
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| Posted: Aug 11 2008 at 8:38pm | IP Logged
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Well... I'll draw. Or put my iPod on LOUD and listen to it while I clean. Or I'll hide in the bathroom for a bit .
And sometimes, DH can just TELL, and he'll take them outside 
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~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire
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stacykay
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| Posted: Aug 11 2008 at 8:50pm | IP Logged
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I either retreat (if dh is home I go to the library!,) or I clean the bathrooms. Looking at my kitchen in its present condition , I need to be a little more like Jennifer!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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monique
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Running. Or at least a long walk down by the river.
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Monique
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Raising Saints
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MarilynW
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| Posted: Aug 11 2008 at 9:46pm | IP Logged
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Retreat to my bedroom for 10 minutes - put on a Gregorian Chant or Lingua Angelica, hide under my pillow and practice deep breathing...tell everyone I do not want to be disturbed unless it is a matter of life and death....(though of course this is very subjective depending on the child  )
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Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
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KC in TX
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I haven't figured this out yet. I tend to retreat but I haven't found a good outlet yet.
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KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
Mama to LB ('98)
Michaela ('01)
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lapazfarm
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I sweep.
It's funny but I did not even realize I did this until last year when I realized that every time I get upset, the broom comes out!
It helps that the kids won't bother me for fear I'll ask them to start cleaning something too!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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JodieLyn
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well.. not something I can do year round.. and actually I don't believe I've done before this year.. but.. I've been going in the garden to weed and hiding there. the weeding does need to get done.. there's a fence around the garden so that the littles can't get to me though I'm not far.. and often the kids will be in the house so while I can typically hear them because the windows are open.. the garden is still "quiet".
The funny part is that weeding is not something I normally would want to do.. puttering in the garden I don't consider my forte.. I have the garden to get the produce pretty much. So this is a real new thing for me.
Hmmm I get the same type of feeling of retreating when I hang clothes on the line. (not enough line right now to even hang a full load but back when there was only 3 kids I did use a clothes line exclusively)
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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SuzanneG
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I do lots of scrubbin' too!
Kitchen Sink and floors- scrub, scrub and scrub some more
Then, re-org and clean the Fridge
Clear off the Kitchen countertops
Then I walk around the house with a huge trash bag, looking for things that need to be thrown away or donated, straightening and putting things away as I go....this is my most productive purging time ...when I'm mad or thinking about stuff.
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Suzanne in ID
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Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Paula in MN
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I start singing Opera at the top of my voice (Figggg-aaa-rooooo, Figgggg-aaa-rooooo)!
Seriously.
Everyone knows right away that I need to be left alone!
It's been sounding like the Met here the last few months...
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 Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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Maryan
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Sometimes I scrub... or sometimes I turn on the radio and dance. My favorite picks are Rascal Flats, Natasha Bedingfield, ABBA, or these two Spanish songs OR learning to do the line dance that Cheryl posted a couple weeks ago to Good Times by Alan Jackson.
I think I would like to do the alone thing too, but it's just not possible. Bad things happen.
And Jenn, I'm sorry you had a bad day. For the sake of misery loves company, I'll share that I had to resort to the radio by yesterday afternoon too... life when Daddy goes back to work is always an adjustment.
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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Maryan
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| Posted: Aug 12 2008 at 7:22am | IP Logged
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And I'm picturing Paula singing Figaro...
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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Paula in MN
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Maryan wrote:
| And I'm picturing Paula singing Figaro... |
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Trust me - it's not pretty
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Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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missionfamily
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If I can't get out of the house, I clean...and sing until my brain kicks out of overdrive, then I clean quietly.
If I can, I get in the car and drive around for 15 minutes or so. I run down the street to the farmer's market or stop at the adoration chapel or just drive. It's soothing to my frazzled nerves.
If I can't get away from the kids at all, we sing and dance...loudly...and badly.
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Colleen
dh Greg
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Maryan
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I've been thinking about this some more...
I'm like Colleen: if my frustration stems from not being able to get out of the house (etc.)... that's when I/we do the dancing -- something to turn frustrating to happy.
If I'm frustrated and need to think, I would prefer to be alone... but that doesn't happen. So I resort to cleaning.
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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ladybugs
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I sing...it drives my oldest daughter crazy, however...
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Love and God Bless,
Maria P
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Kristie 4
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Clean, organize, and if I am really stressed I move furniture
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Kristie in Canada
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: When You're Frustrated or Need to Think..
