Balancing Life with Kids - PART 1

Cone Flower- photographed by me this weekend

It all began with a routine trip to the library. Eager to leave the house, we jumped in the mini van and headed downtown for a relaxing couple of hours of reading and learning

...Or so I thought...

The kids were cranky; the 12 year old vanished in the teen room the second we arrived, while the 6 year old pouted about wanting to go in the teen area, and the 3 year old decided it was a good idea to sneak up two flights of stairs for a game of hide and seek.
Soon after, they were all accounted for and taken to the appropriate location in the library (that being the children's room, what a concept!!) There's crying, pouting and eye rolling (may I add that at this point everyone in the library is engaging in the rolling of the eyes, as they watch the spectacle!!), not to mention us walking out with at least 20 items (I forgot the canvas bag at home) and setting off the security system!!! Back in we go, with the crying, pouting, rolling of the eyes reaching record levels... I just wanted to sit right there and cry.

How do other mothers do this?

That was all I could think about that day. I felt exhausted, overwhelmed, defeated and inadequate. And this was not the first time!
In my mind, I am adding to this catastrophe of a trip the following: 6 loads of laundry in the basement, bills to pay, movies to return, groceries to buy, dinner to make, art projects to plan, and much, much more!
The truth is that balancing life with kids is something that everyone struggles with, and I found that perhaps sharing valuable tips with others isn't such a bad idea. I asked a couple of moms (these are moms you look at and go, "wow, she really knows what she is doing") to share their wealth of knowledge in making life work.
It was important for me to gather info that could be modified to different family set-ups and lifestyles: husband or no husband, full time stay-at-home or full time job. It is my hope that whoever reads this will be able to gain something or add something to the conversation.
Throughout this week we will discuss Meal Planning and Shopping, Housework and Organizing, and Time to be YOU. Though it may sound meaningless and too "domestic" of a talk for some, life's chores and obligations are said to be the cause of most couple's sense of unhappiness and overall sense of burden in Americans. So why not share ideas?

Thanks to Beth and Lisa, who will be featured in this series for the next three days. Your help is appreciated and the love you share with your family through your dedication is inspiring!

Thanks for reading, hope to have you stop by again tomorrow:)


beijos


allypye

Searching for less and finding its enough...

Coming back from our camping trip yesterday, I thought about our family and how the six of us (myself, the hubby, our three children and the dog) are growing together stronger, happier and simpler.

When I think of Gandhi's "live simply so that others may simply live" quote, not only do I think about simplicity as benefiting the world globally and locally, but also about its influence in my own life, within my family.

I find myself approaching everything that way now, asking the same questions "what will make this easier, what will have the least impact, what will be more enriching?

We committed to bringing only the tent, two sets of clothing per person, a few beach toys plus some basic necessities (hygiene, blankets, firewood, flashlights) to the campsite- no hand-held games, cell phones or i-pods. (sounds easy? Try talking a pre-teen into it!!)

It was a great time! I learned things about every single one of my kids, about my husband, about my dog, and about myself that I would have never discovered had we not kept things to a minimum, having mostly only one another to rely on for food, shelter, and fun!Sure, simplicity takes planning and organization, otherwise you may find yourself forgetting to bring essentials and having to go buy supplies; But it is so worth it!

We managed to keep optimistic and relaxed even with the constant ingress of huge SUVs pulling even bigger RVs, equipped with tvs, stereos, cooking ware (we are talking smokers, fryers, portable microwaves, FIREWORKS, and much, much more)- No, camping DOES NOT mean the same thing to all humans!

I hope that more people are now seeking to have moments of true, undivided attention, interacting with their loved ones in nature and fostering appreciation for one another and for the beauty of our world.

As for us, we swam, we sang, rode bikes, built a fire and finally slept to the sound of rain drops "plop" and "plop" on the roof of our tent! Unplugged, Unwound, together.

Beijos to all!