Today is library day. A day I often sit back and consider my life. Reflect on the small changes for good I've made in the last weeks and shore-up my determination to do BETTER.
This week the kids have been getting up two hours earlier than they have all their lives. The sun is up earlier? They have been getting up earlier and therefore my days have been getting longer, and my normal store of patience is not lasting the whole day. I. Have. Been. Feeling. MEAN. And I hate it. The day creeps up to its end and I look at my attitude throughout the day and it makes me so mad at myself! Why do I act this way??? Are they related? I don't know, maybe.
I think to myself how much I want balance. How I want to have a "visitor-worthy" clean house, cook all our meals from scratch, make sure the kids are clean, fed and happy... And basically just make my husband proud to be married to me, and my God want to call me His good and faithful servant. When days don't go the way I wish they would, the kids need MORE of me than I think I have, and all I want in life is for us to be happy and look back on this time as the happiest in our lives, THIS is how I survive:
1. I freaking PRAY. "Be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication, and with thanksgiving, make your requests known to the Lord."
2. I sing songs of praise and thanksgiving to my Lord. I have found it's very difficult to maintain a bad attitude when singing.
3. I keep extra watch on my nutritional habits/frequency of eating. Ladies especially are susceptible to a hunger-induced bad attitude! Seriously, right?
4. I spend more time snuggling and hugging and kissing my babies! Oxytocin (the love hormone) will do wonders for happiness level!
5. I KEEP ON AND KEEP ON reminding myself WHAT KIND of children I want and then MODEL that for them. You want children of peace? Model a peaceful attitude for them. Be a parent they can be proud to have and they will be children you are proud to have.
6. I think back on my life before the Lord so graciously blessed us with children and I whisper to my son how grateful I am to have him. I think things you have to fight to have you are always more grateful you've got... And we waited a long long time for these kids. I am so grateful I literally can't even THINK about how grateful I am without my eyes tearing up a little.
7. I drink coffee. A lot. Probably too much, lol. But it makes me feel happy, and more peaceful, more focused.
8. I recognize that these years won't last forever and someday I WILL be able to have a "visitor-worthy" clean house all the time, but now is not that time. And then I see my boy cleaning up all by himself with no prompting and I think maybe those times will come sooner than I expect.
9. I spend time OUTSIDE! I have a tendency to feel SAD (seasonal affectiveness disorder) or cabin-fevery when I don't get enough outside time. I put the kids in the garden cart and drag them around while I weed and water, voila, everyone is happy.
10. I give us all, including myself here, some GRACE. Not all these days are like all the others. Some are better, some worse, but it's all fine.
HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE. Circumstances are not my master! It doesn't matter WHAT is happening, I can CHOOSE to be happy anyway.
5 is brilliant. I'm going to hang on to that one, especially with mister terrible threes over here.
ReplyDeleteI hang on to 10 a lot.
Not everyone can do what I do, but I use the gym! Give me 1.5 hours away from my children 4 times a week to read and get my blood pumping and I am a happy camper. :)
A supportive hubby also helps. When G is tired and cranky, I am tired and cranky. When he's patient, I do better. I got totally overwhelmed this morning and he was like, "Here, let me take care of that." Awesome.
Truth. There's nothing better than a hubby that comes home from work, scoops up the kids and spends the next hour wrestling with them in our bed. Good times.
ReplyDeleteYes! I totally get this. My kids are early risers, so now I am an even earlier riser :-) It doesn't always work out, sometimes I can't get out of bed, but if I get an hour of quiet in the morning, the rest of my day goes better. I have time to read my Bible, pray, check e-mail, prepare for the day. Instead of immediately jumping out of bed and being on the go until rest time, I use the time to mentally prepare myself for a day full of babes/homeschooling/cleaning/gardening. I seem to be happier for it :-)
ReplyDeleteAbout a month ago I just decided if the Bubba was going to be loud and distracting, it doesn't matter, I'm going to listen to the daily audio bible if it KILLS me. Which of course it doesn't, and only makes my day happier and more peaceful. :)
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