The other night I changed my little ones diaper.. ah the life! We didn't have any extra diapers in the living room so I let her run off and got up to get a new one. And somehow in the short walk to the bedroom I forgot. I forgot. I can't say that I've ever done something like that before. I didn't even notice for at least twenty minutes. And I'm fairly sure that if she wouldn't have come to sit with me I wouldn't have noticed for a while. I laughed. My husband laughed. We laughed for a while.. who forgets to put on a new diaper? Oh wait, that would be me!
As a mom there are always a million little things on my mind. What are we going to eat? What are we going to do today? I should do some laundry. That is probably overdue for a cleaning. My living room is a mess, again. I think sometimes as moms, at least I know I do, we try to cram so much into our days that we can forget to just enjoy the day. Grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, cooking, cleaning diapers, giving baths, helping the kids, reading, planning, playing, paying bills. The list goes on forever. And ever. And ever. And some days, I should say most days, there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. Sometimes we just need a happy medium.
The other day I let my toddler choose what we did all day long. It was awesome! She really lets the littlest things entertain her. We had to go drop my husbands phone off to him at the mall, but she chose that "errand" and turned it into something fun. She decided she wanted to play at the play place. After a while my little one started to fuss so we had to leave. I asked what else she wanted to do and she chose the zoo. We rode the carousel, looked at all of her favorite animals, got icees and had a great time. The day was still young and she chose to go to the museum and play in the new discovery zone. And then Costco. I even let her pick out dinner. She chose a pizza and some danimals. What a choice! We came home, read some books, watched a movie and hung out with Daddy. It amazes me how much kids just want to hang out. They want love, they want attention and they want to feel like they are heard. We all have constant distractions and too often we let them get in the way. How many times a day do we say, "not right now," "in a little bit," "I'm busy right now" and let all of those little moments slip away? How often do we prioritize the wrong things? Our jobs, our phones, our tv's, friends, whatever else distracts you. Those little fingers won't be little forever. And they won't be craving your attention forever. Every day is such a gift and I think at some point or another everybody abuses them. Somedays we just need to forget something and have a good laugh, which leads me back to my diaper story. In that moment, my forgetting a diaper was the best thing that could have happened that night. A good laugh that we were all present for. A moment when we were all enjoying. A moment where nothing else mattered but each other's company. Our lives should revolve around those moments and not all of the other things that consume our time. Obviously we have to work, take care of the house and ourselves, but there is a point where we need to remind ourselves that we don't need all of the other distractions keeping us from what truly matters.
Since I've stared working part time instead of full time I can say our entire work/ life balance as a family has drastically changed. We don't come home exhausted and have to catch up on things at home. My kids are my first and essentially only priority for the day. And I love that. Taking them out, doing crafts, having tickle fights, snuggling, making cookies, watching movies, just doing things together is my job. And it's the best job I've ever had. Sure there are down days, and sure I would love some more friends and adult time, but my job is the best job. Being at home is not a "luxury," it involves a lot of work. We don't get paid, it makes our budget tighter, and sometimes that's hard to deal with. I've been on both ends of the spectrum and although this route is tougher financially, I'm so happy that I am able to do what I do best! Spending time with my precious little girls and making it easier for my husband to do the same on his home time. Focusing my time on what is important for me.
I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for my family and the endless love I feel on a daily basis! I am so grateful for my husband providing for our family and letting me stay home. I am so thankful for the moments that I get to hear little giggles and get big kisses. For my life and the beauty I see on a daily basis.
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