You can have it all, but not at the same time: In honour of International Women's Day

This week I was busy making. Now that I look back on it, making quite a random assortment of stuff. Which, I’m learning, is my style as a maker. I took care of some serious business Dewdrop wise- I got caught up on pending orders, I started a few new fun projects. 

This week I made a lot of stuff.

This week I seriously sucked at some of my other 'jobs'. The laundry is in teetering piles around me, I woke up to a sink full of dirty dishes, and it appears that there are barbie shoes on every surface of my house. 

You get the gist.

If you know me well, you know that my mom is my go-to quotable person. Which is understandable, if you know Babs. Have you read her blog? My dearest friend Sarah regularly reads my mom's blog, because she says it keeps her up to date on my life, and because of the Babs wisdom that permeates every post. She admits to skimming some of the detailed sewing posts, but Sewing on the Edge is a daily read for her. Which I find hilarious and awesome. But I digress.

My mom is a big feminist, a professor of Women’s Studies among other things. But despite her firm stance on all things female, she always says that women used to have it a whole lot easier than they do now. Although they didn't have equal rights, although they were typecast into being wives and mothers, they had clearly defined expectations, and they were not expected to do it all. They weren’t expected to have thriving careers, be thoughtful, flawless mothers, have Pinterest perfect homes, and be fit as 18-year-old fiddles.

My grandmother, who retired from her nursing career after a few years to have 4 daughters in the 1950s (and who, to this day, identifies first as a pediatric nurse), was the most involved, hands-on mother of small children around. That lady can still sit and play cards with my girls for hours. If you need to know anything about small kids, she’s your woman. But she is not a gourmet cook, and housework was not always her priority (She also famously once wrote f&*k housework on the bathroom mirror in lipstick, and then spent a week in the tent trailer in the driveway, on strike). But that was ok- her focus was on mothering her kids. No one can do it all.

No one can do it all.

Or, in the words of Babs “You can have it all, but not at the same time”.

This week, I made a lot of things. My three little kids, and my slightly out-of-control making schedule took all of my energy. Some things fell by the wayside. 

I sit here this morning, feeling quite fulfilled.

My girls couldn’t find clean underwear this morning, but I sure did piece some awesome pillows last night.

My girls. Here's hoping they're this confident on International Women's Day 15 years from now.