I just got off the phone with my mom a little bit ago and don't know what to say. I'M BUSY. I hate that excuse. Like you aren't important enough. But I'm selfish too. . .I *do* take time for myself. It's how I recharge and I have learned that if I give and give and give (which is my nature to do) and don't recharge with "alone" time I become a tired person who is not joyful. And that is NOT the testimony I want to live. So. . .
Mom is lonely. She hasn't heard from me in over a week so she finally called me this afternoon. And I didn't even answer the phone -- I had Thomas answer. Because I didn't have time to talk. I was in the middle of helping someone with school work. The days are devoted to (1) the kids' school work (2) my job at the YMCA (3) grocery shopping/running errands (4) laundry, cooking, picking up (5) {and this is for me} tennis. When I tried to explain this to her tonight. . .and then after ALL DAY with the kids, Tom comes home and he needs attention too, I am out of steam. And I hate that. I'm rarely on Facebook. I don't blog nearly like I want to. I don't scrapbook or do many projects anymore. Bringing the kids home from public school has changed my life. In a very, very good way for us, for our small family of 6. . .but maybe not so much for everyone else. How do I change this? My parents/in-laws/friends *are* important to me. But I don't have many years of schoolwork, soccer, basketball, etc. with my kids left either. They are 7, 8, 10, and 12. I want to spend my time with them. And Tom.
I hope I remember this someday when they get "too busy" for me too. I wish I could find a way to change this. And I don't really think we are excessively busy either. Sure, we fill all of our hours, but mostly together. This weekend, for instance, we were at Applebee's at 6:45 a.m. Saturday to support Frederick's Cub Scout Pack at a pancake breakfast fundraiser. From there we all went to Thomas & Marie's 8:30 soccer game. Then we headed to the next field for Margaret and Frederick's game (Tom is their coach). From there Tom had to go to work for the rest of the day so we headed home to get the house ready for our Sunday Open House. Mow the lawn, take the trash to the dump, clean, de-clutter, etc. We went to a birthday party down the street at 5:30. We were all asleep by 10 p.m. I think! Sunday we left the house at 9:30 for church (Tom & I teach 3rd grade Sunday school), then straight to the soccer field for Thomas's traveling team game, then an extra practice for Thomas, Marie, and Frederick. We picked up pizzas in town and brought them back to our friend's house to watch the movie Avatar (they had invited us to hang there while the open house was going on). When we got home at 7:30 the kids caught up on a little school work and we called it another day. It's just life. A season I am overjoyed to be in, busy as it is. But others are feeling ignored, I have good intentions that I don't follow through on. . .I feel I'm letting others down. Sigh. Maybe we are doing too much. But I don't know what I would cut out. We *enjoy* it all. We love to be together. We love where we live. . .although it is far from "home". And maybe, for now, this is how it's supposed to be. I know one day not everyone I love will be around to talk to and be with. But I'm choosing to invest my time, my most precious commodity, in my children and husband. I hope I'm making the right decision.
If you've read this far (or maybe you're just scrolling for pictures). . .here are a few from this fabulous weekend:
Mom is lonely. She hasn't heard from me in over a week so she finally called me this afternoon. And I didn't even answer the phone -- I had Thomas answer. Because I didn't have time to talk. I was in the middle of helping someone with school work. The days are devoted to (1) the kids' school work (2) my job at the YMCA (3) grocery shopping/running errands (4) laundry, cooking, picking up (5) {and this is for me} tennis. When I tried to explain this to her tonight. . .and then after ALL DAY with the kids, Tom comes home and he needs attention too, I am out of steam. And I hate that. I'm rarely on Facebook. I don't blog nearly like I want to. I don't scrapbook or do many projects anymore. Bringing the kids home from public school has changed my life. In a very, very good way for us, for our small family of 6. . .but maybe not so much for everyone else. How do I change this? My parents/in-laws/friends *are* important to me. But I don't have many years of schoolwork, soccer, basketball, etc. with my kids left either. They are 7, 8, 10, and 12. I want to spend my time with them. And Tom.
I hope I remember this someday when they get "too busy" for me too. I wish I could find a way to change this. And I don't really think we are excessively busy either. Sure, we fill all of our hours, but mostly together. This weekend, for instance, we were at Applebee's at 6:45 a.m. Saturday to support Frederick's Cub Scout Pack at a pancake breakfast fundraiser. From there we all went to Thomas & Marie's 8:30 soccer game. Then we headed to the next field for Margaret and Frederick's game (Tom is their coach). From there Tom had to go to work for the rest of the day so we headed home to get the house ready for our Sunday Open House. Mow the lawn, take the trash to the dump, clean, de-clutter, etc. We went to a birthday party down the street at 5:30. We were all asleep by 10 p.m. I think! Sunday we left the house at 9:30 for church (Tom & I teach 3rd grade Sunday school), then straight to the soccer field for Thomas's traveling team game, then an extra practice for Thomas, Marie, and Frederick. We picked up pizzas in town and brought them back to our friend's house to watch the movie Avatar (they had invited us to hang there while the open house was going on). When we got home at 7:30 the kids caught up on a little school work and we called it another day. It's just life. A season I am overjoyed to be in, busy as it is. But others are feeling ignored, I have good intentions that I don't follow through on. . .I feel I'm letting others down. Sigh. Maybe we are doing too much. But I don't know what I would cut out. We *enjoy* it all. We love to be together. We love where we live. . .although it is far from "home". And maybe, for now, this is how it's supposed to be. I know one day not everyone I love will be around to talk to and be with. But I'm choosing to invest my time, my most precious commodity, in my children and husband. I hope I'm making the right decision.
If you've read this far (or maybe you're just scrolling for pictures). . .here are a few from this fabulous weekend:
It was 6:45 a.m. . .glad I got this pic, though, because I didn't end up getting any on the field that day. I just sat and watched and cheered. It's kinda fun having two kids on each team -- each half/quarter there is someone playing!
Frederick and his fellow Cub Scout in the kitchen picking up drink orders. Both forgot their hats. . .oh well. . .they were still part of the "team"!
Sometimes my pictures post correctly. . .sometimes not. Sigh. Margaret was feeling left out, just sitting at the table eating so she decided to get up and start bussing tables too :)
This was Sunday's game. . .Thomas has the ball at the moment. I think I might have some better action pics from a game the previous weekend. . .haven't downloaded everything yet.
Well. . .balance seems to be the word that I need to focus on and strive for. And in the meantime, I have the following to look forward to:
Tuesday -- CPR refresher at 7 p.m. (it is so rare to have a morning at home -- yea!)
Wednesday -- YMCA 8:30-12, evening church and soccer
Thursday -- Community Bible Study, dr. appt. (me), soccer practice
Friday -- garage sale, soccer practice
Saturday -- garage sale, soccer games, Women's ministry dinner with the girls
And. . .still need to put the finishing touches on my theses. And keep up with the kids' schoolwork. And maybe fit some tennis in? Oh yea, doing Jillian Michael's "Ripped in 30" too. That is going well. And take care of my sick husband (he now has the crud I was down with all last week. . .)
I love, love, love my busy, full life!!!! And I thank the Good Lord for all of His blessings. . .we are full.
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