I guess it all started with piles. Lots and lots of piles.
Piles of laundry.
Piles of paperwork.
Piles of responsibilities.
Piles growing exponentially before my eyes with no end in sight.
My middle name was fast becoming ‘Overwhelmed’.
I never had a chunk of time coming my way…
to organize, plan, create, or accomplish anything.
It can begin to make a girl resentful, ungrateful, and bitter.
Not that I was ever any of those things.
But you do see (hypothetically speaking) how something like that could happen over time to a homeschooling mom of 7 kids who lacks a personal chef and professional cleaning service, right?
Because one can get a little discouraged when the bottom of the pile is never reached.
When there is never a quiet uninterrupted moment.
When the never-ending checklist continues to grow.
When you constantly work your tail off only managing to get further behind.
I don’t recall exactly how this beautiful, amazing thing called ‘homading’ came to be. But if I had to guess, it went something like this…
Mom of 7: “I can’t take it anymore.” (Standing at sink washing dishes, unshowered, toddler yanking my PJs, kids fighting in the background, and dinner cooking on stove.)
Dad: “What’s the problem?”
Mom of 7: “What isn’t the problem? I can’t get anything done around here. IT’S MADNESS!”
Dad: “You have seemed a tad bit frazzled lately… Perhaps you should let me watch the kids once a week, while you knock items off your list and have some time alone.”
Mom of 7: “You’re my absolute fave.”
The undeniable truth of this story is that my husband is a saint.
No really…he is.
He recommended that I try ‘nomading’.
You may not be familiar with this term, but it’s truly a wonderful concept.
You see, even highly introverted geeks eventually tire of isolation.
When this happens, ‘nomading’ is their answer. They head out to a local coffeehouse with laptop in tow, prepared to work, and get this….socialize. <Gasp>
I know…but it’s not exactly what you might think. It’s fellow geeks working around a large table, connected to the WiFi, sipping delicious drinks, and talking about all the technical mumbo jumbo that their respective wives tired of listening to long ago. Gives them a chance to get it out of their systems…a very beautiful thing. 
Anywhooo, ‘nomading’ didn’t really appeal to me.
I didn’t want to spend the time getting my stuff together, traveling somewhere, and getting set up…only to find myself reversing the process a few hours later.
And I certainly didn’t want to see anyone.
This was my much needed alone time.
I just wanted to lock myself away in a quiet place, free from kid responsibilities, with a computer and my ‘to-do’ pile.
Duff’s office seemed the ideal spot.
And so ‘Homading’ was born…
My evening at home, when I steal away upstairs around 5:00PM, to an uncluttered room, with a hot beverage in one hand and a laptop in the other.
I close the door behind me, occasionally locking it, if the perceived threat level is especially high.
I let out a long sigh of relief.
I’m off duty.
The tension in my body immediately dissipates.
It takes a few minutes for my mind to begin thinking clearly.
I turn on some favorite music and take a sip of strong coffee.
All is right with the world.
What do I do for the next 5 hours you wonder?
- I respond to email and clean out my inbox.
- I update the calendar.
- I meal plan and make shopping lists.
- I purchase gifts and organize birthday parties.
- I research curriculum and place orders.
- I shop Amazon, Old Navy, and Lowes Foods To Go.
- I make phone calls.
- I exercise.
- I shower.
- I write blog posts.
- I sort through pictures, organizing and editing.
- I pretty much do anything and everything that needs to get done.
‘Homading’ is what keeps me sane. (That and my morning routine.)
It’s life-giving.
When my week begins spiraling out of control with unexpected surprises…
I remain relatively calm knowing I always have ‘flex time’ coming my way. Relatively.
It’s life-changing.
‘Homading’ morphed me from hamster-running-on-an-exercise-wheel into productive member of society.
So in case you’ve ever wondered how I accomplish anything…
‘Homading’ is another one of my best kept secrets.;)
