Do it for the Kids

I have a stay at home mom friend that is busy all the time.  She has a son and a daughter (9 and 7 years old).  It’s football and cheer on Mondays, piano lessons on Tuesday, Wednesday is dance for the daughter.  Friday is gymnastics for both and Sunday they go to church and Sunday School.   My friend does a wonderful job fitting in birthday parties and playdates for the kids, too.  Last month Sass had a birthday sleepover and she invited the daughter.  This little girl is so sweet!  My friend made it all work despite that she also had a bowling birthday party (we were there too) and gymnastics competition before coming over to spent the night with us.  God bless women like T!  She is a supermom!  Never does she complain about running her kids around all the time!  She just makes it work.

So I was talking to her at the bowling birthday party and I asked her why she allows her kids to do all these activities because lets face it, when they do all these activities you (or the other parent) end up doing them too!  Her response was “They are only young once.  They enjoy these activities or I feel they are important to them.  I decided to stay at home so I could capitalize on this time in their lives.  So when they (or me) look back they will be happy, rose-colored memories.”  *Disclaimer- These are not her words exactly, I have paraphrased some*

I have currently been on a ONE activity at a time kick.  My girls chose Girl Scouts this time around.  Soon after the girls wanted to participate in the Destination Imagination(DI) and the school Talent Show.  I thought, “what harm can it be”?  Each of these other commitments are only one day.  Little did I know, now they each have a DI meeting weekly, practicing ballon animals for the Talent Show almost every night, the Girl Scouts and we are in peak cookie selling season (which I just figured out is BIG business).  I know I sound like I am whining!  I kind of am.  (Ugh!  Gross!)  I just feeling overwhelmed, but this too shall pass.  “If T can do it, I can make it through the next 5 weeks.”  That is my new mantra.  I chant it regularly.

If you also can use some help with time management lately, check out a couple articles I’ve enjoyed from other mom bloggers: Time Management as a Stay at Home Mom, and Time Management 101.