A Year of Habits, no. 27
As I type my husband sits on the floor playing a game of SCUM with the oldest five children. Our baby has removed all her clothes and is running around like the crazy woman she is, throwing whatever she can get her hands on while her five year old brother laughs with delight and follows. The three year old melted down earlier and is now sleeping peacefully. Once again I look at the clock and lament the hour but part of me whispers, “What is summer for?” as I watch our children interact with each other and their Dad. These are the moments that we miss when we’re too busy. These are the moments that contribute so much to family life and family memories. And so I delay bedtime… again.
This is only the third weekend in seven weeks that our family has been at home. It’s nice to be just us, in our own home, together. It’s been a busy week. We went from vacation mode to soccer tournament mode quickly and I had an important project to finish. I’m behind on laundry but really we’ve done pretty well considering all the factors.
In general I feel good about the week. I finished a project and started another book. The car is clean. I cleaned out a closet and got rid of things we no longer need. An idea struck and I spent some time organizing in the basement to prepare for it. I enjoyed a great mother/daughter date with one of my girls. I spent time snuggling with my little ones and had a great talk with my 6 year old. We visited with neighbors, and I even got to help with the cutest wedding idea of all time (more on that later). Miraculously, I remembered a couple of birthdays and got some mini cakes baked and delivered. I’m eating well and it feels good. We started a new read-aloud chapter book as a family. I spent time evaluating what matters most to me, working on specific things to make more room in my life for those essential things. It feels good to be still, to ponder, to ask hard questions, to implement. We were busy but good things happened. I wonder, is it possible I’m learning something? Perhaps, or this could also be an indication of how well things flow when we’re not overloaded. The overload factor is a big part of the picture and I’ve got a lot to learn in this area, but it feels good to know what you need to work on.
I also did something that was really hard for me. I went through all my baby boy clothes and got rid of most of them, saving only those that really tugged at my heart. I was literally shaking as I did it. I kept taking a deep breath and telling myself that I could do it and that it was ok. I guess I’m slowly, very slowly, coming to grips with 8 being our upper limit. I so wanted more but here we are, stretched so thin that there are gaping holes. I probably should have called some friends to pass the clothing along but I had to take it directly to the car and off to the thrift store before I started crying. I did it. And the week went on just fine.
Up ahead this week: lots of organizational projects around the house plus some good, old fashioned summer fun. And, if I’m really good, a bit of sewing as well.
What’s ahead for your family this week?
Jennifer
