Between work, my husband's crazy night working schedule, and my kids insane activity schedule - I am constantly on the go. Most nights I go from the law office, to the dance studio, to the baseball field. By the time we get home we are running around cooking dinner, getting clean, and getting to bed at a somewhat decent hour.
Yet even with this busy schedule - I am finding myself experiencing a strange feeling....laziness.
I know that is probably the last word you expected to hear me say, but yes I feel completely lazy.
I have always prided myself with being a fun Mom. My husband, kids, and I used to spend our evenings and weekends playing and having fun adventures. Now, it seems like we are living...but not living. It's like my plate is full of veggies, and the health food I need to eat, but I have no room for dessert. Get my point?
And it's getting bad. I mean this year is so busy we don't even have a family vacation planned this summer. Reality is simply taking all the fun out of our lives.
After I put my kids to bed at night I sit down to wind down and think "Wow, that day was a blur...I never got to play with the kids, did I say "hurry up" more than "I love you"? Man I wish I would have sat down for 5 minutes and just played dolls with J, and why didn't I just pitch H some baseballs in the front yard? Did I seriously just tell L we didn't have enough time to read his favorite book again?
And then comes another feeling...guilt. And of course it doesn't help that Facebook is full of those postcards that say things like "Don't blink your kids will grow up" or pictures of someone graduating with a comment under it that says "Wow, where did the years go?".
I'm in a reality rut. I need to stop being the Mommy that carts the kids around, the wife that is always tired, the friend that has no time to text or send an email. I want to get back to...well me.
So my mission this summer is to give myself my own intervention. I know life is busy, but that is no reason why we can't still make time for the real important things in life.
Often with interventions there is a 12 step program - so here is my 12 step program to getting my family back on track to remembering what is important. My summer bucket list so to speak:
1. Take walks as a family
2. Go camping
3. Visit our favorite beach spot - Grand Haven, Michigan and run in the sand with the kids.
4. Eat at the kitchen table - picnic at the park - BBQ with my extended family.
5. Finally go to the drive in theater I have been saying I'm going to visit for years
6. Plan a family slumber party
7. Lay under the stars with my kids
8. Declare a technology free week - no facebook, no internet, no ipad, no phones.
9. Road trip - even if we don't have a destination
10. Swing with my kids on our favorite swing down by the river
11. Play catch with my son, dance with my daughter, race cars with my son ( A LOT)
12. Run through the spray park -- yes me too.
I'm determined to make this summer the best it can be. We are only going to get busier, we are always going to be stressed out. It's time to remember what is really important before I'm posting my own "Where did the time go?" under a picture of L at his graduation party. Let's do this!!!
Mandi
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