Last night, M and I reviewed our weekend.
“Two kids,” he began, “all of the leaves in the yard are raked. Both kids are bathed. The laundry is done. And we got all of the grocery shopping done for Thanksgiving.”
And that didn’t even take into consideration the fun stuff. Our girl got to ballet class. We introduced our boy to friends over brunch. We took a family outing for some bookstore time and a late Fall walk. As we walked around playing I-spy, a warm cup of coffee in one hand and five little fingers in my other, M pushing the stroller with our sleeping son, I breathed in the perfection of that moment.
All weekend long I kept pausing to take it all in. I think M thought I was crazy but each night I went on and on about how great the day had been. I couldn’t stop repeating, “Today was a really good day!”
The truth is I needed those moments. I needed this weekend in all its perfection.
When my Mom left last week, I felt a little shaky. And when I woke up on Saturday, I didn’t feel great about the day ahead. No real plans, no routines to guide us, no extra adult to help us outnumber the little ones and make things feel a bit more even. Every possibility that the toddler would be cranky and the newborn fussy.
But about an hour into Saturday, I gave in.
This weekend would be about family. I’d surrender to being Mom. To focusing on my family and time with them. To easing everyone into a rhythm and putting aside the rest.
This weekend, I eked out just one blog post. I answered just a handful of emails. I was slow to respond to texts and phone calls. But I played legos and drew pictures with my girl. And I cuddled my boy, spending hours gazing at his happy, little face. And I relaxed with my husband, spending our evenings chatting about our day.
The magic was in that each time someone asked me for something, I was there. I wasn’t trying to do everything. I wasn’t trying to do it all. Wear more hats than fit on my head. I wasn’t trying to be Mom and blogger and writer and house cleaner and baker and holder of it all.
I made a decision to prioritize. To have a single focus and fit in the rest when and if the rest fit.
And the effect of that one, little decision on my mood was dramatic.
So often, I spend my weekends trying to fit way too much into two days. Family time, writing time, recharging time. Errands and chores mixed in with fun and catching up with friends. I draw up lists of to-dos and goals and then when one thing interrupts or interferes with another, I get frustrated, feeling like I’ve accomplished nothing.
Life needs focus. Busy moms need to prioritize.
This weekend, I prioritized my family. And after that one, little decision, I enjoyed every moment that followed.
Do you ever give in to just one priority for a weekend? How does it work out for you?
Happy Monday, all. Hope you are all gearing up for fun, family, and food!