But for some reason, life got hard with kids being in big-kid school. When they were babies, I kept waiting for that 'next stage' in life so it would be easier. Excited when they would finally start walking, so I didn't have to carry them everywhere. Or when they were able to brush their own teeth and get dressed. But I have learned that each stage presents its own challenges. With school and after-school activities like ballet, piano and homework, dinner sometimes just never happened. How could I cook dinner when we were gone for back to back ballet from 4-6:00pm one night? The Crockpot/Instapot became my new friend.
My free time at night when I usually blogged, was filled with other duties. After the kids went to bed, it was time to pack lunches, get their school stuff ready for the next day, clean dishes, reply to emails (for all the volunteer stuff, organizations I am involved in, Girl Scout troop leader stuff, etc), to where there were some days I didn't even have time to watch any relaxing trash TV. So my blogging days were soon a distant memory.
I started missing my old stay-at-home mom days where my kids were in preschool a couple of days a week, and we had all this free time to do crafts, play games, and go to the park, the zoo and we all had A LOT more down time. Granted there were more temper tantrums and less independent behaviors, but I missed the stress-free running around we were doing every day this year.
So for Mother's Day, my husband bought me the Emily Ley A Simplified Life book. Ha, I think my husband was trying to hint at something? I definitely needed some organization and loved how it was made for moms to help de-clutter, meal plan, help with finances and 'de-busy' yourself. I totally recommend it (not endorsed at all by this, just loved the ideas she had).
The main thing I took away from her book was the page on 'Simplifying Your Smartphone.' With my complaints all year on being too busy, reading her passage that said:
When our children see us pick up our phone at a stoplight or when we're sitting quietly on the couch checking our phones, they notice that we don't like to be still. We no longer know how to sit and look around at our surroundings, taking in the scenery, just thinking, and sometimes just being bored. When life gets a little quiet, we immediately jump for our devices so we can pump our brains back up to full speed with information and connection. It's an addictive habit. We are teaching our children that it's not okay to be still.
Wow, reading that was such an eye opener. I mean, I know all of that stuff, but to hear it out loud really made me stop and realize how important it is to really stop and smell the roses. So I am going to make a conscious effort to pretend it's 1985, no email, no texts and no immediate stimulation. Take more nature walks, play games and keep my phone sitting on a table and pretending it's an old wall phone. I will answer it if it rings (not during dinner or special play times), like my mom used to back in the 80's, but when my kids are around, not to use it beyond as a phone. Nothing needs an immediate answer, so texts can wait, emails can wait. I want to start the summer off without all the 'busyness'! Now with the summer, I can't wait to have more time to blog and relax.
