I talked to my mom on Wednesday this week, and she mentioned that she had gotten tired just reading my list of goals and weekly routines related to the Mother’s Rule I’ve been working on. And wouldn’t you know, that after going back and reading the post again, I got tired too! 🙂
There are two things I have to say about that, however.
First, all moms work hard. We all have different situations, but we all work hard. Michael and I have close friends who are incredible parents and just all-around amazing people. They have six grandparents who regularly watch their children for them, plus Montessori preschool twice a week for their oldest, and they are also blessed to have a housekeeper. But I would bet you that on almost any given day, this couple works just as hard or harder than Michael and I. They have more going on in their lives than you can imagine. I am always so inspired by their teamwork, their cheerfulness, and their great humility in everything they do.
We are each given our portion, I think. Not too little, not too much. Just what we need to keep us strong and healthy and growing in grace and stature before the Lord. He knows what is good for each of us; He knows what He made us for.
My second point about my Rule journey so far: I have so much going on that I feel I don’t have a choice but to get organized and discipline myself even more. Having no plan at all–or being too lazy or free-spirited to stick to one–has not worked for me.
Here is where I bare my soul and give you a couple of examples that illustrate why I’m trying to embrace the discipline of assigning a time to each priority and regular task in my life.
- When I don’t having something planned for dinner, and I have an empty pantry and refrigerator and freezer, we end up spending money we shouldn’t be spending eating out. My husband, who frequently works outside all day long right now, doesn’t get the healthy food he needs. Neither do my children. And then we don’t have leftovers for Michael to take to work with him, and he has to eat out again–unless he wants to eat peanut butter and jelly and a cheese stick for lunch. Again. (Which he has done way too often and way more cheerfully than I deserve!)
- When I don’t stay on top of a laundry schedule, clean laundry stays piled up in the living room for days and days. True story: I have actually single-handedly moved a huge pile of clean laundry four times in one week to and from my bedroom to “hide” it when I knew visitors were stopping by. 🙂
And I could talk for days about how skimping on prayer time and spiritual reading has held me back spiritually.
Getting organized is great, but I’m trying to stay balanced and remember to let spontaneity and a realistic flexibility keep me well-rounded in all of this. No week is going to be perfect. Things just seem to come up, as happened this week!
- I missed mass on Thursday morning because Gabriel had a rough night and slept in a little that morning.
- I forgot until the youth minister called me on Tuesday that Michael and I were scheduled to give a talk to a youth group on Wednesday night. (Praise the Lord that we found a babysitter in time!) I completely bailed on cooking and cleaning chores on Wednesday to prepare. Managed to whip up something extremely unappealing for dinner, so I skipped out on dinner and, yes, ate an order of tater tots from Sonic on our way home from the talk.
- On Thursday, we had a business meeting come up suddenly that Michael and I both had to go to at 3:30pm. We host Family Dinner, a potluck meal for our community, at our house every Thursday night, starting around 5:30pm. I had left all of the cooking and cleaning until that afternoon, so I got home and frantically worked with two grumpy babies following me all around and whining and crying for me. (Note: Michael had to go right back to work and couldn’t help at all that afternoon. Epic fail of planning on my part, but by the grace of God FD went beautifully, as always. And my last-minute pumpkin bread was a hit. It was baking all through dinnertime, since I had gotten it in the oven right when people started arriving, so my house smelled delicious and everyone wanted a piece when it came out!)
- The laundry I was supposed to have folded by this morning is actually folded and put away now (yay!), but it sat in the living room all day and got trampled by my kids, who both need a bath but didn’t get one (again) tonight. We were out late doing an activity as a family after dinner, and so I did do the ole’ Quick-ey Warm Soapy Rag Bath. (This is also a slightly ashamed call for any kind commenters to assure me they have given their precious dirty babies Quick-ey Warm Soapy Rag Baths too…)
- As you can probably tell, since this post is being published on a Friday night, my in-home date night with Michael didn’t happen tonight. A close friend stopped by this evening, and since it is his birthday, we invited him to stay for a visit and a drink…
So there’s the update! More to come….God bless and good luck to all of the HH readers who are reading the book with me! Feel free to email me with questions or thoughts.
In other news…:)
Some friends and I hosted a Preschool Olympic Games play date at a local park this morning, in honor of the Opening Day of the Olympics. Gabriel didn’t participate very much for some reason, but he did win the One-Man Tricycle Race!
Gabriel and I won the one-man tricycle race!
All of the kids lined up to receive their medal (and a sticker:)
Such an excellent and MUCH more concise way to put it, Katie. 🙂
And I love your prayer to multiply your offering. Some days I feel like Superwoman, and sometimes I feel lost and mediocre. Thanks for that encouragement today.
We all have to "bare our souls" now and again 😉
As mothers aren't we all just trying to make it? I pray that the Lord multiplies my humble offering.
-Katie
Absolutely, positively do the "Quick-ey Warm Soapy Rag Baths" DUH!
I love your honesty! Allow me to make you feel better ab warm rag baths when I tell you my two have been known to get a weekly bath when we have a really busy week with sleepless nights. It doesn't happen too frequently and no they aren't smelly lol. The only way I stay on top of laundry is to wash a load every morning right when I get up and somehow fold it and put away by bedtime, even if it's a small load. My house is always covered with toys but I keep the laundry under control!
Thanks for being a source of humble inspiration. I know I'm not the most efficient person out there, but I find when I plan ahead at night (laying out clothes, packing lunch or snacks, getting things ready if we have an activity, getting to bed at a reasonable hour), I have a much smoother morning, and that often helps us have a better day. Oh, and I give my kids sponge baths several times a week (because mine really don't get that dirty and) because it saves time.