Dear Blog,
I’ve missed you. Believe me I have wanted to sit down and write about life… but I’ve been busy living. Too busy. Exhaustingly busy. You know, normal ‘mom’ busy…
do laundry . go grocery shopping . help Katie with a Pueblo Indian project . volunteer in Megan and Emily’s classroom . go visiting teaching . make Conference Bingo Boards and packets . wash soccer clothes 3 times a week . go to Music Makers with Luke and Matthew on Tuesday mornings (fun, huh, Geneva?) . go to my Relief Society sponsored German lessons on Wednesday mornings . sweep and mop the floors (ALL the time) . have our traditional 100 days before Christmas party . get our international drivers licenses so we can explore outside Germany . help Megan practice reading nightly . fill in and sign countless forms for school . check backpacks . watch LOST with Chris!! (so fun) . invite a friend over to play at the park . encourage Ryan, Katie and Emily to practice piano . send Chris, Ryan, Katie and Emily out the door to soccer practice every Monday and Wednesday afternoon (with Chris as Coach – they love it) . have family ‘gospel art kit’ sessions . buy a few things for the house from IKEA . help Megan make a snack to take to her Kindergarten class . go to a fabulous Stake RS Saturday Conference in K-town . help Ryan with Stargirl activities and other things for Language Arts . eat homemade German noodles and mushroom cream sauce downtown with Chris . wake up at 6:25 every morning to get Ryan on the bus by 7:24 and the girls on the bus by 7:29 . order pictures . order new white shirts for the girls . find an English speaking hair stylist and get my hair cut . stick to the new budget . deep clean the bathrooms . take the kids to the River Neckar Park . study the book of Mormon while eating my breakfast (thanks for the idea Monae!) . find an electrician to help with a light problem . make dinner . do some more laundry . clean!!!!
Sounds like a well accomplished list… but I’ve been frustrated the last couple weeks with how much ISN’T getting done. (I could write another equally long list of things I had hoped to have time for this month) Seriously, for the amount of time I work everyday I should have more to show for it!! Chris says, “But Lisa, you have six kids.” OK, true. But still… is it silly to wish my living room looked like a pottery barn catalogue?
A friend recently said, “I just don’t know how you do it with six.” I probably smiled and recited my usual answer to this frequent statement… “I don’t know how I do it either.” But if that ‘IT’ means a perfectly clean house, nice folded laundry, a well stocked pantry, delicious dinners, and spotless floors then I really don’t do IT. But if ‘IT’ means LOTS of talking to my kids, telling them how much I love them, teaching them about prayer and gospel concepts, playing games, laughing, and sharing my testimony with them… then I think I am doing IT… not perfectly, but consistently, and with the help of a wonderful husband and the Spirit I try very hard to have in our home.
So I’m trying to remember when I look around the house that if the pillows and blankets are a mess on the couch… it’s because Chris and I snuggled on the couch for a movie. And if the laundry is piling up… it’s because I helped the kids read or do projects – or just went to the park. And if my desk is a mess upstairs… it’s because I created great activities to do as a family. And if the kitchen is a mess it’s because I’m trying to manage complete chaos – while cooking something hopefully edible. And if all of these are a mess at the same time… then we must have had a fabulous weekend.
One day I’m going to have a living room as clean as one from a catalogue… and when I do I’m sure I’ll be a little bit sad.
Life is busy… but busy is good. Actually, it’s great.
8 comments:
You are doing IT. You just don't know IT til it's passed. And no, you don't need a living room from the PB catalog. But it's ok to WANT it!
Whenever someone asks how I do it all with 8 kids I laugh and say how does anyone do it? We all choose how we spend our time. Some people are super busy being involved at their kids school, some people are super busy working full-time though they wouldn't choose to be, some people are super busy in the community. Just because a family has a lot of kids and seems to have it all together doesn't mean they have it together any more than someone with only 2 kids. Everyone is busy, and Elder Uchtdorf's talk reminded me yesterday that it's more important to simplify and focus on fundamentals. Pottery Barn is highly overrated!
Missed you loved this post and love you! You are such a great mom one I admire look up to and want to be like.
thanks for this post. helps me to know I'm not the only one that struggles with things like this and what a great way to think of it instead of what you are lacking. That is something I struggle with constantly!
I feel the same way! More kids for me has helped me let the little things go and focus on the important things. I guess I had to have a lot of kids to learn this valuable lesson. Some people learn it with less. I guess I'm a slow learner?
p.s. We looked at your blog a ton yesterday with the kids....Carter is convinced we need to move to Germany which is a recent decision for him - he loves all the parks especially the one where the kids got to build the structure themselves.
I ditto everything you just said! I've been told a million times to enjoy every minute with my kids because it won't be long before my house DOES stay clean and I'll be reminiscing about the good ol' days. :) (But I still can't help myself...couldn't my kitchen floor stay clean for just one day?!)
We all need to focus on the great things we DO and be grateful for them. I think you are fabulous! And if your kids and husband think so too (and they do) then that is doing it all!
What a great post, and just what I needed to hear as we embark on our new 7 kids home. I was getting very worried about how I was going to do "it" too. Loved President Uchtdorf's talk also, helps me see that it's okay to slow down. The only "to do" list there is, is the Lord's and it's just the "do it your best" list. Your family is such a great example to us. We love you guys!
ps.I am so far behind my blog, maybe I just need a good catchup post like this. I think I might count that as doing "it" for today.=) Oh yea, and there are many times I dream of my clean front room too. It usually happens when Angie comes and lasts for about an hour, and then I get put back to reality real quick as things start finding their usually spot on the floor again. Someday, I guess. I'm pretty sure heaven is neat and orderly.=)
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