Amanda Schell's Blog

Leave your toddler unsupervised for 5 minutes when you have last nights leftover rice in the fridge. Your living room gets this very magickal snow globe look to it and your kid looks like he's been to a wedding prior to the 1985 rice ban.

Rice And Snow Globes

Snow globe in my house
This mess looks like it was fun
So many rice grains

Snowing Rice

Snowing rice in my
House; the dogs will not clean up
This will take ages

This morning I went to shower and a very large spider was in my bathtub. Needless to say I didn't shower until I got him out. In honor of international peace day today I wrote some Haiku's for him before releasing him outside. The video can be found on my page.

Uninvited Spider

Little spider in
My shower uninvited
Back outside with you


Intimidating Spider

You intimidating
Spider in my tub please let
Me catch you safely

Most people Spring clean, I actually prefer to Fall clean. My squirrel brain is beginning to kick in and tells me it is time to do just that. I started yesterday and it is on the agenda again today. Every year it is floor to ceiling madness before I get all cooped up for the Winter.

Time To Clean Again

Time to clean again
It is that time of year now
Same madness each time


Who Did This New Mess

With each new child born
With each new pet acquired
Who did this new mess?

I don't know about anybody else but I get squirrel brain every Fall and as soon as I noticed those leaves starting to change it hits me hard!

No Nuts

Fall is setting in
I screwed around all summer
And I have no nuts


Panic Winter Is Coming!

Panic! Winter is
Coming and we have failed
To prepare enough

I don't think it is possible to raise children without feeling some form of guilt. Maybe you don't feel like you're a good enough parent. Maybe you missed a soccer game. Maybe your child grew up and made bad decisions that psychology says to blame you for. Whatever the case may be it sucks and it's probably unavoidable....yeah you were hoping for wisdom weren't you. Sorry.

Is It My Job To Make You Smile

I feel guilty when
You do not smile every day
But is it my job?

All too often as parents we tend to forget our own needs which can leave us moody and not parenting at our best. This can be a major pain in the ass and we can self sabotage our own parental efforts. Most of us were not taught all there is to self care. Such as meditating, healthy balance of self esteem, connection to body/ mind/ and soul. Don't forget you.

All dressed up for no
Damn good reason yet again
Self esteem booster

Beautiful even
You have no place to go
This is my self care

Society may not notice they do it sometimes but society stress shames parents. It seems that every time a parent vents about being stressed because of their children they are instantly made to feel bad about it. "Oh there are people out there who can't have children, be grateful you had the opportunity for that juice stain on your brand new carpet". "What if you lost your children? There are people who have, be grateful for the broken pieces of your favorite decoration and your complete lack of a social life".
I get that I do and I am so grateful I love my children but I'm around them 24/7, they've been screaming nonstop for a week, and I have every right to vent when it gets stressful. I'm not Mary Poppins. And maybe if parents didn't have to pretend parenthood was sunshine and rainbows teen girls wouldn't think they need to get knocked up.... Stop stress shaming parents. Rant over.

I Love My Children But...

I love my children
But my brain just exploded
Inside my poor head

Be Quiet

Please be quiet so
I can think for a minute
My sanity gone

Precious When Sleeping

So precious sleeping
Perfect child in this moment
RUN! Awakening!

Sometimes it can get rough waking up in the morning to the sound of a crying one year old. He's had an ear infection he's just about over so he has been extra whiney and needy. Scarcely have I exited my bedroom before the rambunctious energy of my 6 year old overwhelms my senses. I love them so much but sometimes jeez

Soundtrack To My Life

Every day I
Get to hear this chaos play
Soundtrack to my life

Overwhelmed

I know I would be
Lost without these noises here
But still overwhelmed