I've been thinking a lot of about Good, Better, Best (as far as spending my time). I would love to say I've calendared myself the BEST life ever. I think for me, the greatest struggle lies in the unpredictability of BEST. I like routine. I like structure. I like going through motion without pausing to evaluating its value. For example, I like to get up exercise, email my dad, make a hot breakfast, get the boys off to school, play basketball. . . The glitch in MY whole Good, Better, Best plan is that what is Best ONE day may or may not be the BEST the NEXT day. Does that make sense? Playing basketball on Monday may be the BEST on Monday but only GOOD on Wednesday. Reading scriptures in the morning may be BEST on Tuesdays but could be BEST on Thursday in the evenings. Ahhh!
With all of this self evaluation that has been going on over here, I have determined one very important thing.
I stay at home, to raise my kids at home.
I need to be home more. The cushy days when we first moved here and I had no friends and no where to go are gone. Now there is too much distracting me. Too many GOOD and even BETTER things for me to do. But what is BEST?
Hyrum is a trooper. Most days he happily follows me to the church to watch me play ball. And I am grateful. But I don't want him to be a sideline child anymore than I want to be a sideline parent. So I've come up with a compromise (because I do love to play ball). I will dedicate myself to basketball on Wednesdays. If kids are awake and happy, I will treat myself to Mondays and Fridays, but not at their expense.
We will create more "lazy" days when I only wear my MOM hat . . when I can focus on Hyrum, and savor Warner. (note the emphasis on Mom and not Housekeeper :) Right now the boys are both at such fun stages and I need to put the multi-tasking aside, turn a blind eye to the chores (not all of them), and truly fall in love with the simplicity of mothering (the sparkle in Hyrum's eye when he's giving me an ear full, playing Star Wars for the 100th time, the hugs and loves and snuggles . . ).
As a treat to all of this "BEST-ing". . . I do plan on an occasional splurge of "BETTER-ish" type activities: blogging, scrapbooking, chocolate licorice eating, and phone talking.
With all of this self evaluation that has been going on over here, I have determined one very important thing.
I stay at home, to raise my kids at home.
I need to be home more. The cushy days when we first moved here and I had no friends and no where to go are gone. Now there is too much distracting me. Too many GOOD and even BETTER things for me to do. But what is BEST?
Hyrum is a trooper. Most days he happily follows me to the church to watch me play ball. And I am grateful. But I don't want him to be a sideline child anymore than I want to be a sideline parent. So I've come up with a compromise (because I do love to play ball). I will dedicate myself to basketball on Wednesdays. If kids are awake and happy, I will treat myself to Mondays and Fridays, but not at their expense.
We will create more "lazy" days when I only wear my MOM hat . . when I can focus on Hyrum, and savor Warner. (note the emphasis on Mom and not Housekeeper :) Right now the boys are both at such fun stages and I need to put the multi-tasking aside, turn a blind eye to the chores (not all of them), and truly fall in love with the simplicity of mothering (the sparkle in Hyrum's eye when he's giving me an ear full, playing Star Wars for the 100th time, the hugs and loves and snuggles . . ).
As a treat to all of this "BEST-ing". . . I do plan on an occasional splurge of "BETTER-ish" type activities: blogging, scrapbooking, chocolate licorice eating, and phone talking.
5 comments:
That's why I love blogs...so what I needed to read myself right now, succint and inspiring at the same time. I struggle with my little extrovert who wants constant engagement...but he is why I am at home, afterall.
No idea what our need routine will be after next week, but I look forward to applying the "Good, Better, Best" model to it. Thanks!
And please ignore the spelling error in that post...oy!
I didn't know you played ball.
What a great post and reminder to us all! It's so important to remember what is truly important, what is truly best! Although good and better are good now and then too. :)
Steph - this is the read that I needed today. I have been trying and trying to find the best way to spend my time and all the while feeling really down on myself for how I spend my time. What you said about staying at home . . . that rang true.
So thank you for inspiring me to be the BEST mom that I can be! You are an example to us all!
Post a Comment