Finished coffee with a dear friend today and headed over to pick up Linc from Pre-K. Well the day is almost half over and what do I need to do today? I always think in lists or categories. I can be anal and so I set daily goals. Typically, I have a 5 finger rule about my days. I feel pretty successful if I can get 3 out of these 5 things done:
1. Spend time in the Bible
2. Spend one-on-one time with atleast 1 kid
3. Do something for my hubby, Paul
4. Exercise
5. Do 1 house chore
So I began thinking about which of these 5, maybe all, would I tackle today?! I guess I can be a bit of an 'over- achiever' at times- not sure why but some of my girlfriends have pointed that out?? So I have really mellowed out in the last 9 years. Birthing 4 kids will do that to a person. It used to be that I wanted my house to be in tip-top shape, everyday. I wanted an extensive bible study completed every day. I wanted an incredible meal sitting on my table every night. I wanted to look like a 'hot mamma' for my hubby every day. I wanted to be the most amazing, creative, energetic, and patient mom........EVERYDAY! Who and What did I think I was? Superwoman?!! Probably! Unrealistic expectations for me.
Thinking like this landed me in a pit! So instead of cranking out checklists, I've decided to look at the quality of my day, not the quantity of tasks. So today, I vacuumed, washed 1 load of laundry, made power/engery snack balls, and played 'guys' with Linc and took the challenge of a sword fight and WON! If my day ends right now.......I feel content. I could have pushed the idea of playing guys and sword fighting to the side cause I really do have lots of cleaning to do and I nurse a 7month old every 3 hours. But, I have to realize that dishes, laundry, floors, and books have no feelings. My children, my husband, and my own self being need to be nursed along. So exercise is regular for me. I feel more fit and energetic- not so- "hot mamma"- but I feel good. I've accepted the reality that my kids need my hugging arms around them more than the glasses/ plates that await me. And more importantly, my husband needs my full attention after kids go to bed. I can get up early and finish the chores tomorrow. Or we can do them together that night so that we have more time together. Perspective wins everytime! Who did I spend time with today? How did I impact them? How did I grow myself? I'm still working on this but crawling along slowly. Don't be too busy for the reaching arms but if you're too busy to do dishes today and it looks like a hurricane destroyed your home, that's okay. Tomorrow awaits! All in my opinion, of course!
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