It's the first full week of school and time for me to get my groove back. I had a revelation this morning (as I was trying to figure out what to do with my morning sans children)....this time of year is a much more appropriate time in my life for resolutions. If you are a mom with school-aged children, you probably feel the same way, right?
As soon as summer started (i.e. the day the last school bell rang back in May), every task that could wait till school was back in session was put on perpetual hold. Remember? We played and swam and ate lots of yummy food and stayed in our pajamas all day when we felt like it. (note to self in regards to planning next summer, a little bit more structured fun is probably not a bad idea). Basically, I spent a summer in denial....it was awesome!
But alas, that blessed school bell rang again last Wednesday morning (i.e. the last day of summer), and I was hit in the face with reality! The to-do list is more like a to-do book: There are closets to organize, errands to run, gifts to buy, notes to write, friends to lunch with, workouts to tackle, piles to be sorted, classrooms who need helpers, work to catch up on, movies to watch, books to read, charities needing a helping hand, plants to tend to, pounds to lose, fingernails to file (not to mention all the extra curricular activities that the children will soon begin).... well, those are a few of the items on my to-do list anyway. Yours might look a little different.
Even still, we all have one, and the trouble is, where do we begin? I read a great post on Simple Mom a few weeks ago that inspired me. My life may seem chaotic at times, but if I put my mind (and maybe a good bit of prayer) to it, maybe it can feel more like organized chaos. That's the best I can hope for at this crazy stage of motherhood!
So, here is the first draft of my resolutions for this school year!
1. Pace Myself (i.e. cut myself some slack). I place this at the top of my list because I am a control freak who needs to check myself every once in a while. I can't do it all, and I'm not going to pretend to be able to. Period. The breakfast dishes may stay in the sink till Greer's naptime and the beds may go unmade on the days I work..... you get my drift!
2. Work Out a Routine (that works for me). I don't work (as a labor and delivery nurse) the same days every week, but I want to feel like I have some sort of "plan" (even if it's not a daily routine). I need to use my time more wisely now that I have some time to myself each week (4-8 hours depending on the week). I need to have a time each day for prayer, exercise, showering, straightening, returning phone calls, doing laundry, running errands, resting.....and by the time the kids come home at 3 every afternoon, I'll have time to spend with them!
3. Lose 10 pounds by Thanksgiving. I have totally lost my mojo in this department. I want to feel strong and fit! I want to be able to wear my favorite jeans come mid-October! I need to find 3 solid times each week to exercise and jump back on the Weight Watchers wagon. Yep, I started back today (well, with the diet anyway). Keep me accountable y'all.
4. Pick a Project. I haven't decided if this will be a weekly or monthly thing yet. I have a lot of re-organizing and decorating projects that I really want to do, but I end up spinning my wheels and never finishing anything.
5. Set Boundaries. I can't do it all. I work, I have 3 little kids, I have a marriage that needs to be top priority. There are things that I feel God leading me to do. I may have to say "no" to some of the things I am asked to do outside of these things. I am going to try my very best to choose to do the things I feel God has gifted me to do, and realize that it's OK to say no to the others.
Consider this list a work in progress.....what's on your list?
He's our all boy, athletic, Daddy loving, amazingly messy, school adoring, people pleasing, ultra sensitive, fruit craving, mercifully giving, bed hopping, dangerously destructive, absolutely precious first born.
She's our extremely funny, big hearted, completely dramatic, very talkative, nurturing, terribly sassy, independent, fashion forward, chocolate craving, brown eyed, Mommy helping, sorta sneaky, beautifully stunning second born!
4 kind words:
I love all of the things on your list and I am going to try and jump on the bandwagon with you. I would like to add to my list that I want to spend more time in daily devotion with God. I am sporadic at this at best but want to do better.
I have been doing the Jillian Michaels workouts. I have printed out a bunch of them and will be happy to pass them on to you. They work and you do them 4 days a week with 2 rest days and the idea that you do cardio for 45 minutes one day. I rarely do the cardio..which is why I've only lost 6 pounds. Let me know if you'd like to try them.
I've had the same summer - extremely laid back! Such a blessing and a curse. Now I have to get the kids back in a more structured routine and definitely back to doing chores - yuck!! But, I do look forward to it being more controlled. Beginning to walk again, not eat sooo much, actually worrying about the cleaning, etc...
Thanks for the post!!
I like your list, and I totally agree - this is the best time of year to make resolutions! I just started a workout routine this week, in fact.
I would add one thing to your list: organize your family. If your kids make their own beds and keep their own rooms clean (well, with the exception of Greer, of course!), and maybe have one other chore they're responsible for, that will give you more time. It works for us!
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