I've been wondering about lots of things lately. Like....
... Should I take a chance and get our vegetable seedlings planted outdoors (protected) before the end of May? I'm getting antsy to get them in the ground because I know the fall frost comes too quickly and they need as many days for the growing season as possible.
How do parents decide, how do WE decide which activities and what activities or educational opportunities are truly beneficial to our kids and manageable for our whole family?
T-ball, American Heritage Girls and Cub Scouts, fall soccer, church children's choir, Pioneer Club, swimming lessons, music lessons, Classical Conversations ... and the list of options goes on and on. At the ages of 5 and 6, how do you know things your child has a natural inclination toward? And with multiple children, how do you maintain the importance of home when you are out of the home more evenings than you are at home together as a family? It seems it is a process of choosing the best over the good...I feel clueless.
Why can't I get my act together to keep my house reasonably clean and orderly? The feeling of peace that comes from a clean and tidy house for me is one of the most refreshing things I experience...though I don't experience it too often. And I'm wishing we had our house had active storage space.
How do moms on a budget find times of refreshment? A day at the spa or a wardrobe or personal makeover ain't gonna happen here. And even on evenings when I am able to get out alone, I don't know what to do with myself, and I still need to cook dinner for my family, which detracts from the notion of a break.
Why do I like junky food? But I am finding that on mornings when I start with a spinach/fruit/protein shake, I crave junk far less. And I am drinking half as much soda as I was last year, so progress is happening, ever so slowly.
And why am I not losing any weight even though I have worked out 105 times this year so far? Oh, non-cooperative metabolism! Yes, my heart is healthier and I am stronger, but the scale is not budging.
How can I simplify shopping so I can spend more time doing things I enjoy or things that need more attention in my home? And without increasing our grocery budget?
How can we free up money in our budget for ordinary things like kids' activities, day trips out and about in this great state, more gardening supplies and the like. Not extravagances, just the costs that come with living a rich family life.
Am I good mom to my kids? What are my primary purposes and priorities in mothering and in the rest of life so that I do the important things well and let the less important things get less time and attention?
So far, none of these questions are really resolved. Hopefully in time many of them will be.
3 comments:
I've been wondering about the veggies too... Such a tough choice - and we're farmers' daughters for goodness sake!
Something we've learned to help us keep the house tidy: We have a little list for each day of the week - Mike helps me! Little things like: Be sure all the dishes are clean/put away, all laundry folded/put away, trash taken out, floors swept... It's been helping to just have a couple little things EACH day...
Mike gave me the tiniest break last week - after supper dishes were done I took my book to Panera for an hour. A $1.81 coffee and a quiet corner were great!
Why oh why are both of our scales cursed with the same problem?
My thoughts...
Rachel, You do a great job of putting all of my thoughts into words!!
I have no answers for any of it either. We are just getting into lessons for the kids and trying to decide what is important. I feel like I can never keep up a routine around home because our evenings are always changing. I also am struggling with my messy house hindering my desires to set up a craft for the kids or make bread or keep my one-year old bruise free(because he keeps tripping over all the STUFF on the hardwood floor!) If I could just keep the house clean, my life would run so much smoother.
However, I did just enjoy a nice pampering pedicure compliments of my MIL. I love having pedicures at the beginning of spring to get my toes looking pretty for sandal weather. It might be a nice splurge for you for Mother's Day. The place we go to is $23 for a spa pedicure with a nice massage chair to sit in. It is great!! I usually get a few pedicures every year from my MIL. She treats me and my sister in laws once in a while. I would make it a priority to give myself at least ONE pedicure a year even if I had to pay for it myself.
Keep up the good work of sacrifice for your kids and family. Remember, there will be a day when the only things on our schedule will be pedicures, and book clubs, and shopping trips to the mall for a new outfit.
I only have 23 more days of driving my daughter to school and then it is summer!!! YEAH!!
I think many of your ponderings are ones that many moms share ( I know I do.)
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