In the last 17 days, I have planned and seen through the following:
1. Ruby's dedication and luncheon here afterward.
2. My four year old's first sleepover with 5 of her peers.
3. A two day, two night, trip to the coast with all three of my children and no husband in tow.
4. A dinner party for my moms group, plus a few other invitees, which equaled 16 women in attendance last night!
I would like to preface this post by saying that if you were a part of any of these events, please know that I enjoyed all four of these special times!!! Memories were made and relationships were given room to grow!
And now, can I just say that I AM SO CRAZY (some of you already said that in my sleepover comment section) to be doing any of these things right now in my life. And INSANE to do all four in 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a social person and I am a dreamer and a perfectionist (dangerous!)- but I am going to have to put a little of all those characteristics on the backburner for awhile. Because I have "party remorse" today. Why? Because my kids were allowed to watch tv most of Tuesday, Wednesday and now today, so I can recoup. It's 2pm and I am still in my pjs! I haven't made one meal for my husband in not sure how long, I am lacking sleep, and my efforts at losing weight are seriously tested in all these situations!
So for a long time, I am NOT going to vacation without my husband, and I am not going to host a party at my own place for a good chunk of time. I am going to concentrate on my children and make sure they are growing in the right direction. I want to read books and play hide and seek and enjoy the last sunny days. I will attend other people's parties and look forward to the day that I can throw one myself without having to ignore little people in the process.
I tend to be hard on myself too, so I will note that my children are still blessed and loved and I didn't do them serious harm by letting them fend for themselves a little. And I am not going to close my doors to all social situations. But I will definitely not do four in 2 weeks, 2 months or maybe even 4 months again in a LONG time.
Always learning here...
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10 comments:
Steph, I can so relate. My husband likes to know well in advance when we are having a function at our house. I get a bit crazy, and demanding, and through fits.
All that to say I so know what you are feeling. They all sound like lovely events that I am sure were perfect! Rest up and have fun hide and seek adventures with your girls!
Stefanie, I was so sorry to miss your dinner gathering last night!!! But thank you so much for the invite. A night out was probably what I needed, but instead I decided to stay home, nurse my sore mouth, and feel sorry for myself because I have to sport metal for the next 12 months! But thru it all, I have to remind myself that it could be SO much worse! :) Enjoy the rest of your summer!!!
Oh Stephanie,
I have insane down to a T.
1. I am a stay at home mom.
2. My husband is in the military and travels A LOT!
3. I am a half time college student.
4. I am the family coordinator for my husband's unit.
5. I am on the Steering team for our MOPS group!
So don't be so hard on yourself.
Today I am catching up on laundry and dishes that I haven't touched in like 2 weeks. I worked on homework, I worked on unit stuff, and I worked on the speaker schedule for MOPS. The wonder pets are currently playing on my TV while the kiddos are eating Easy Mac (eeewww). My goal is to get back to the whole "good mom" thing umm by next week, just in time for the hubby to get home!
Have fun playing hide and seek!
I love your honesty....because I'm sure most of us moms can relate! I know I can.
Someone once told me, "you can have anything, but you can't have everything". I really like that quote because it so helps me to prioritize what I really want my life to look like, and say no to the rest. But, even so....life does get crazy sometimes.... :)
Thanks so much for sharing. Enjoy some "down" time!
Yep, I can relate to this too. I'm so glad that you recognized your limit and that you are taking steps to retain good balance in your life, and for your family.
I have to remind myself that priority wise my family comes before any outside commitments.
Isn't that just how summer is?
If it makes you feel better, your end of summer mom party was lots of fun and the food was wonderful. And... I'm sorry I contributed (greatly) to your lack of sleep!
I always enjoy getting to meet your friends and get to know them better. There were lots of fun girls there!
Love you.
Jill,
I am so glad you stayed or I wouldn't have gotten to catch up with you. Even if I fell asleep in your company...I am hoping I didn't snore or sleep with my mouth agape...
I love when people feel comfortable enough to make my home their home.
Love you too.
You really are amazing! Wow! And as for feeling guilty...I feel like sometimes we do so much for our husband/kids, that it's okay to do something for youself! Your girls will be fine...and who doesn't love to spend all day in jammies???
Hi!
A wise lady was showing me her beautiful flower garden one day, and I was coo'ing and regretting the fact that my garden area at home was just one huge weed!!
She looked at me with a wonderfully wise smile, and said, "You are growing special kinds of flowers, and you can be sure that they (she pointed to my little children, playing in a field) are so very beautiful! You will get to play with regular flowers soon enough, but treasure these days, for your special flowers will always be blooming in your heart!
And you do, Stefanie! So does your sister and brother--not to mention the other special flowers now blooming in the garden of my heart!!
Of course, my outdoor garden is still waiting for the day I'll get those common flowers perfected--along with many other projects! Somehow, my special flowers have just flooded my life, and I'm so very thankful!!
So there ARE seasons in our lives, and you season is now Pajama Season. Have a ball!!!
Love,
Mom
You know what? This post makes me so proud of you!
Balance!! That's the key! And that's what you've found. I love the fact that you challenged yourself to invest in yourself, and then you also have the ability to say "no" when needed.
It always saddens me when I see moms stuck in either extreme: either they forget about themselves and their own needs, pouring everything into their kids, or else they allow someone else to raise their kids and focus solely on themselves.
Well done, Stef! Enjoy some good downtime with the girls! : )
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