I know, I know... it's Tuesday. So much for New Year's resolutions. But I am still flossing and I do have a really good excuse for not writing a post on Monday. Yesterday was the deadline for submissions for
Quilters Newsletter's 2012 Best Christmas Quilts issue. I've spent every free moment over the past few weeks knee deep in fabric, wool, and embroidery floss, and this past weekend and yesterday were the final push. Now that I've made my deadline and have a moment to breathe, it occurs to me that I simply couldn't have done it on my own.
Despite having their own commitments and plans, my whole family pitched in over the weekend to give me the support that I needed to finish on time. My husband not only brought home take-out on Friday and cooked dinner on Saturday, but he actually made the bed, cleaned a bathroom spontaneously
and took the kids skiing Saturday afternoon. Not bad! The kids helped out by entertaining and walking the puppy, and even Casey decided to cooperate by napping during the day and sleeping until 5:00 am (thank God!).
My husband and kids were also unbelievably patient over the weekend. They were all willing to pull their clean clothes out of the dryer or the various clothes baskets scattered around the house (although it occurs to me that one of them could actually have put the clothes away), and no one complained when we didn't eat dinner until 7:15 on Sunday or when we had to eat it on our laps because the kitchen table was covered with quilts.
As I worked, my family encouraged me with compliments and well-timed pep talks. It's amazing how my husband's standard "You can do it!" and my daughter's favorite "You gotta want it!" can still get the job done.
Best of all, my family -- as ever -- was a great source of inspiration. Although they too were busy, they were ready to put down a book or step away from the technology in order to give me their opinions. Even if I didn't take their advice, their willingness to discuss options or suggest ideas helped me make decisions. When it came time to name my projects, they were more than happy to come up with ideas, and while "Luxurious Luxury" and "Star of Destiny" weren't exactly ideal, a few of their suggestions made the cut.
As great and supportive as my family is, I'm still playing catch-up today. I've got 5 loads of laundry waiting, the floors need to be vacuumed, and the pantry is bare (for me, instead of a village, it takes a town). And I suppose you could argue that without carpool and puppy training, hockey and homework, I wouldn't have been working at the last minute. But honestly, where's the fun in that. My family keeps me busy and occasionally makes me crazy, but this past weekend they made it possible and they always make it worthwhile.
