Domestically Challenged?!

So as I am a full time student without a job for the first time in my adult life spring break= actual break. I was looking forward to "spring break" for weeks, most especially last week- remarking that I just needed to stop thinking about nursing for a bit- the problem is then what will I think about?I had planned to let go, get some sun... and try not to obsess too much over the little things. After looking at the weather for the remaining days of my break I can tell you sunshine is highly unlikely! It is rainy, gloomy, and grey for the rest of the week here, and everywhere within reasonable driving distance.

The bright side: no sunburn, that's about all I got. Don't get my started on the cons.

I cannot sit still, it is not in my nature to just be.... it would likely benefit me greatly sometimes but I am always busy.... by design. So if I cannot go to school, and I cannot pseudo-relax in a bathing suit what do I do? Monday I got a burst of energy, this is my spring break I will make the most of it. I kept Riley home with my and had some quality time, although after the weekend (Jay had duty on Saturday and went to GA for a good bit of Sunday) she and I were both kinda itching to get out of the house and back to our groove.

We had a good day, Riley helped me with some of the chores... which brings me to the realization I had regarding my domestic skills. I have never been known to be exceptionally talented in the kitchen (I can bake like nobody's business... but as for dinner... how many days a week can you eat scrambled eggs or grilled cheese?!) I have been so busy between family, job, school that my house failing to look like a page out of a pottery barn catalog, and lack of culinary expertise is understandable....expected even. This is only one week but for some reason I felt like I needed to make up for of these things now!!

I am a punchline when it comes to cooking really... there are a few things I can make well (all day, complicated things with far too many ingredients), and yet the thought of planning meals for the week and cooking simple things were monumental tasks. I spent most of the day cleaning the house, doing laundry, spending time coloring, watching TV, playing Barbie and miserably missing the nap which my daughter has outgrown... me not so much.

I avoided the issue, but after washing the remote control (which somehow survived!), running to McDonald's for lunch and ending up with a bigger mess than I started with.... have now come to realize: I am domestically challenged.

 How did I get here?

I hale from a long line of women (Italian) who have no concept of a hot meal (b/c they are constantly up from the table getting things or other people). I would have sworn my mother was secretly a short order cook with the things she would prepare mid-whine from her (admittedly) spoiled, and picky children.

When I was growing up I didn't think there was anything my mother could not do, I believe this even more to this day. She could cook, clean, mend, sew, be creative with my sister and I (we wrote books, painted, made pottery you name it!), and after we were in school full time she went back to work as a contracts administrator for engineering/contracting firms-- a job which I never thought suited her, my mom thinks on her toes, hates staring at computer screens or working indoors for too long, and artistic to this day, something I thank her for every day... Not to say you cannot be these things and work in her profession, but in my limited experience in this field I felt like an outsider. I was a circle peg in a square hole around the office. I liked "pretty things", decorated my cubicle with pictures, accessories and flowers....color coded graphs and charts, I would bring doughnuts and bagels for the entire office as often as I could just to collect everyone in the break room at one time without simultaneously ignoring each other or bickering over who was next in line for the microwave... I would always prefer to go talk to my co-workers instead of dial their extension or send an email.... and had on occasion frightened my manager by the assortment of highlighters I used.

Nonetheless...

My mom= super woman. My grandmother= super woman in her late 70's!

How did I come to be so domestically challenged?

First let me outline my high, or would it be low points:

• Ironing= putting something back into the dryer-- if it's too wrinkled for this measure it's unsavagable and must be rewashed... 
• Laundry= really easy to forget about... especially in the washer for a few days.... yuk!
• Cooking= I have had my fair share of run ins with undercooked food to now believe somewhere in my subconscious that whatever it "says" the meal should be cooked until-- do it at least 10 minutes longer.... we are destined to eat hockey puck, beef jerky textured food! Unless the crock pot is involved.... Thank god. 
• Planning Meals= Holy goodness! I am in nursing school for crying out loud, time management, critical thinking, organization it's being beaten into my head here people... but somehow I cannot manage to plan out a week worth of meals without:

  a) having some internal battle on whether or not these are "good" meals to have and obsessing over the alternates.
  b) picking meals that are entirely not possible on a week night... meaning if I need 5 hours to prepare it... it's not happening M-F for the most part.
  c) forgetting vital ingredients on the list and so when the time comes to make said meal I have tacos with no cheese, lasagna with no noodles... you get the picture!

I can clean at least.... but that's the least fun of all! :0/ lol
SO I have to say to all the stay-at-home moms, or just those super moms who seem to have it all together I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for you!!
I'm sure with time and a little luck and advice I'll get a knack for how to master some of the basics.
My husband is so supportive of everything, who I am, how I am... and self-sufficient... he irons.... and cooks... and talks me out of cooking a chicken casserole for 45 minutes....I am so blessed to have a wonderful family who loves me for me and with the rest of my week off I plan to finish the laundry (without any electronics hopefully), organize Ry's toys and keep it simple.... ;0)