A Delicate Balance....

I fully believe that this picture captures how most parents feel at any given moment of any given day.  Life can sometimes feel like this delicate balancing act, in which you are completely blindfolded. 

Juggling kids, work, home, marriage, health, play, etc., can be exhausting and we have not even finished the day yet.  I think it is important for people to realize that there are only so many hours in one day, and only so much that can be accomplished in that day.

I know many people that have a hard time asking for help, and yes, I am one of them.  It has always been a struggle for me to ask others for help in any way.  I always felt like I could just handle it, whatever "it" was.  Like the woman in this picture I felt as though I could just toss another ball in the juggle and keep on ballet dancing on down the tightrope.  Sometimes, we have those days where we can handle it all.  I have had days where I got multiple loads of laundry done, an almost gourmet dinner prepared, worked out, scrubbed half the house, and still managed to shower and look hot before hubby got home.  Then I have had those days where I wonder if I will manage to get out of my yoga pants before I have to pick up the kids from school, and better yet, wonder how much I care. 

Life ebbs and flows, and so do our bodies and our energies.  We have to learn to seize the moments when they hit, and not beat ourselves up when they leave.  Today has been one of those challenging days when I set out with my sights to conquer the world and now the day is almost gone and I feel like I hit about half the things on my list.  I sit in my bed with my laptop, and my sleeping toddler next to me, wondering if it is worth it to try and stay up long enough to do one more load of laundry.  I am already planning what I have to get started when I get up tomorrow at 5 A.M.  I have my mental list growing in my head. 

But will this keep me up tonight?  No, not at all.  I know that today I did my best with what I have.  I have a teething toddler, two school age kids, a husband who was home not feeling well, and myself having been up a great deal last night.  I walked the tightrope and juggled as much as I could today while ballet dancing blindfolded across the circus ring, and I am okay with that.  I will do it all again tomorrow, and dance blindfolded, juggling, and be okay with that load too. 

The Riot Act

Have you ever read your kids the riot act?!?!  Where does this saying come from anyway? Well I read mine this act in question this morning. I told them to clean their rooms yesterday, well I should say room because while we have abuela withnus they are sharing.  Anyway,  when I went in this morning it was obvious that they half donkey'd it at best.  I have been sick for two days now, and I thought they could be trusted to accomplish this task without my intervention. I was apparently delusional from my fever.

After threatening to throw it all away, they scurried around trying to clean up before school. I have been feeling bad about yelling at them, but not about why. They are great kids, but they do have their faults, just like the rest of us.  The younger of the two has a harder time with the whole room cleaning thing.   She is a pack rat in training...a future Hoarders episode in waiting if I do not break her cycle now.  The older one just does not want to clean up after the younger one, which I understand but still, can I catch a break somewhere in here.

So now they are at school probably wondering if crazy mom really is going to throw out all their belongings, or if the fever has gone to my brain.   I think a little of both are possible.