So there's what I'm struggling with most at the moment. It's out there for everyone to see. It's my nemesis. Priorities. This has been an extraordinarily difficult year for me concerning what needs to be done first. There are so many things that need my attention and they are all equally important. My children need me to teach them so they can accomplish their work and move up a grade at the end of the year. They also, apparently, need to be fed on a regular basis and have clean clothes to wear. (Really? You're hungry again? Did you seriously change your shirt for the third time today?) Let's not go into all that entails to make those two things happen. Let's just say a lot of time.
Since we are at home together doing school all morning, which is when the kids do their best work, and unfortunately me too, we are getting done around noon and everyone needs to eat lunch. Lunch is a big deal because everyone is here at home and Rusell comes home three days a week for lunch. (which I love and feel very lucky about) But I actually have to make something, a real meal, for my family in the middle of the day. We are all eating around 12:30pm and then I hear the tiny sound of the baby waking up from nap and ready for his lunch. My lunch goes uneaten and I take care of baby and then clean up lunch and then decide I'd like to eat (imagine that!) and check my email while the kids play with the baby. At 1:30pm I'm done eating and am exhausted.This is the afternoon slump. I go put the baby down and all I want to do is dink around on the computer, lay down and snooze, or read my book. Now if I do any of those things all the other items that MUST get done ( see above mentioned things like clean clothes and food to eat, among a million other chores) will not get done.
My hubby gets home at 4:15pm and is starving so I usually have dinner ready by 4:30 or 5pm. That means I am beginning dinner around 3:30ish. So I have two hours in between my lunch finishing and starting dinner, to accomplish my gigantic list of things to do. And that's on the days we don't have a visit for the baby or errands to run. That's when the priorities step into play. I obviously can't do everything on the list. I'm not superwoman! Only the most important things for that day. Cleaning is the thing that goes undone most of the time. The deep cleaning that needs to be done regularly seems to fall to the bottom of the list so often, that very abruptly my whole house is in desperate need of scrubbing! I don't like to live that way. I like a sparkling clean home (who doesn't?) but that is not my reality. My reality is what needs to be done now! That is what I'm going to do.
Now for a moment, let's remember that I thought it would be a great idea to start my etsy shop. We have needed a little extra income and I really love to sew and it's been a dream of mine to have a little shop full of beautiful, useful items for sale. The only trouble is that dream being realized equals a ton more work. Now, I've added in sewing, creating patterns, listing, and photographing items. Then, (blissfully) shipping those little beauties to their new owners. Hmmm. What was I thinking?
But you know what. Somehow its all working out okay. I have been striving all year to keep up on housework, be a teacher to my kids, a foster mom to an infant, be active in ministry, keep my kids involved in sports and activities, and find time to spend with my sweet husband. But somehow adding in this one extra job, this little dream of mine, has motivated me beyond words, to attack that list of to do's with renewed vigor.
It's like the perfect storm of responsibility.
And I think one of the keys is that I really want to sew and work on the shop, but I will not allow it if there are things going to pot all around me.
I have started getting up earlier to spend some quiet time in the word BEFORE my day begins. That has helped immensely instead of squishing it in while the kids are watching cartoons and delaying their breakfast making a later start to school. Also, I work harder and am more organized than ever to be able to carve out more time to sew. At the moment things are running pretty smoothly. Is my house perfectly clean? Not exactly, but I spent two days deep cleaning and catching up on laundry and now today I can spend time working on the shop. The only problem is I need to make a meal list and get groceries too. But I have dinner covered for tonight, so I think I'll shop tomorrow. See, priorities. Well, that said, I'm off to defrost some beef and switch the laundry and start cutting out some new zippered pouches. Let's just see how long I can keep the plates balancing. I'm just remembering that nothing is impossible with God. As long as He is my top priority and pleasing Him is my biggest concern, the rest of this crazy life will continue to fall into place!
8 comments:
Don't I have an awesome wife! She truly is INCREDIBLE... that being said, I better step up my game and plan some time off for her...hmmm.
Connie, you are awesome! I really do admire your ability to balance all of these plates and continue to grow spiritually. Way to go, lady!
That's an early dinner!! Well, I guess then you're done with that, right? Connie, you are amazing. It is no small thing what you are doing raising your family and caring for your baby. God will bless your efforts. Just try and rest when you can so you can keep it up! Love to you all!
I am so right there with you! So many things I WANT to do. I have decided that if being a fiction author has been my dream all my life, it might be good to really prioritize making sure I spend time on personal writing projects every day. But where to find even one hour a day, when I have paid writing assignments (boring but help pay the bills); a husband and kids (kind of nice to visit with them once in awhile); school and church volunteer commitments; not to mention all the cooking/cleaning/planning/scheduling/budgeting that goes into running a household. So overwhelming!
And what am I doing now? Reading blogs and eating a mango. Because everyone needs a break sometimes :) The trick is to make sure I turn off the blogs when I'm done with my snack, and focus on those priorities. You are not alone in the struggle!
Yep, I think you're pretty amazing, too! It's amazing that any of us can swing all the things we're trying to handle. It all comes down to what has eternal value. You're building God's kingdom, one dish at a time :) Sometimes we just need a little sympathy and an understanding ear. My phrase when I start feeling overwhelmed and needed by everyone is, "Everyone wants a piece of me!" And there's really only so much of me to go around...
I hear ya, Connie! And I'm not even homeschooling my kiddos...
Sometimes for me too, along with everything you mentioned, I have to work on my "perspective" when looking at priorities, because I can easily get overwhelmed and then just go...take a nap.:) Being content in all circumstances is so hard for me sometimes but getting easier the more time I spend with God.
I think you're amazing! (and you have a beautiful voice. and don't you dare argue with me.)
Connie, this was really encouraging to me.. I feel quite overwhelmed sometimes (I'm homeschooling and have a baby, like you), but when I do have a free moment, I wimp out and take a nap.. or read a book.. or go online. I think my problem is that I don't have enough things to do to keep me motivated to get EVERYTHING done. I have things I enjoy doing, but don't do them "for lack of time" but I think if I make the decision to just do them, I will be more efficient with the time I do have. Thanks! :)
Alison (Ruckert) Albert
PS Hope that all made sense. I am up MUCH later than usual tonight and a little foggy. :)
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