what's NOT your thing?

What is this marvelous interest in how people "do it all"? 

Is it because of the internet and seeing people's lives a bit more up close and personal? 

I don't know why, but I hear that question asked all the time. 

Of me, of my friends, of my husband, of my own parents. Of single friends and married friends and moms and working moms and adoptive moms and if you have a blog it's probably asked a lot more often, because people do see a bit more of what's going on.

But the obvious (to me, anyway) truth is,

 NO ONE DOES IT ALL.

I certainly don't.

I see blogs of moms with 4 kids and adoptive kids on the way or moms who own Etsy shops while homeschooling and I sometimes slip into that same silly thought. Wow, she does it all. Nope, no she doesn't. Whoever she is, she doesn't. And I'm so glad she doesn't. What an impossible standard is she did! 

Some blogs I follow have recently become a bit more vulnerable. a bit more honest. a bit more real. AND I LOVE IT. 

Some bloggers who seem to do it all have recently mentioned various things that they don't do well or at all and I've taken grateful note:

cooking or baking from scratch

diverse meals each day or week

homeschooling or added home learning

super creative play with their kids

owning any animals or critters 

busy schedules with their kids (music class, Mandarin, soccer, etc)

cleaning and tidying (their house is a mess, hallelujah!)

decorating and DIY projects

blogging in general...

I loved discovering, over time, each of these little secrets of some great bloggers I know. Most of them do many things on that list, but none do them all. How freeing. How obvious, but how necessary to be reminded (if you're anything like me).

For me it's mostly to do with my kids. I love staying home with them but I am under no impression that I need to pack their schedules with enrichment activities. I recently attended a music class for toddlers with my friend down here in Louisville and it was SO fun, so I see why a lot of parents plan those activities. But for us, it's a bit too pricey to plan such things for Lily and Oli throughout the week (most enrichment activities run upwards of $15 per class/visit) and personally I don't want to be overwhelmed by it all. 

We don't do crazy creative play at our house either. A lot of independent play, a lot of helping mom out (we run errands together, cook and clean together, etc), and a ton of reading together. Our kids likely won't do formal activities like Sparks, soccer, or hockey until they're in school. So while I'm home with two babies, I don't stress myself out with planning formal activities or outings too often, other than to the park.

So, super creative play and busy kiddie schedules are NOT my thing and that's one of many reasons I don't do it all.

What about you?