I'm all yours...

In my attempt to keep ALL the plates spinning… I sometimes forget what’s important!

Today kids… I’M ALL YOURS!

I lead a relatively busy life, in that I work the best part of full time… I have two young, energetic boys and a husband who is away from home for long periods at a time.

I realise I am not alone in any of these things, so I’m not looking for a medal… and I realise that many people have it much harder than this.

But some days I feel like I am treading water just trying to keep on top of things.

In trying to do my job to the best of my ability, look after, love and feed the kids, keep the house clean and functioning, turn the washing around in time for it to be caked in pretty much anything that stains… AGAIN… I sometimes forget to actually stop… listen and just spend quality time with the boys.

I clock myself saying ‘yes, in a moment… just let me finish… washing up/cooking/putting the shopping away/unloading the car'… etc etc

So today I decided to say YES to everything… (within reason)

If the boys asked me to do something with them, I wouldn’t finish doing what I was doing, instead I would stop, listen, play, help, teach or hold them. Whatever it was they wanted me for… for one whole day, they could have my undivided attention.

I didn’t obsess about tidying up behind them or keeping a tight ship… instead I obsessed about THEM… and it was one of the most magical days we have had. We didn’t do anything lavish, expensive or extreme. We just spent quality time together, playing games, talking, laughing, not putting the tele on, walking in the woods and taking our time because we had nowhere to be, no schedule.

It was also one of those rare days when they were both a pleasure to be around... all day! (perhaps a reflection on my calmer approach to the day?)

Wouldn’t it be nice if life could be that simple. ALWAYS.

I know that’s not a reality that we’ll ever live… for many reasons, the bills need paying, the house needs tidying and the children need feeding relatively healthy meals, at least some of the time!

But it was a lesson for me, to make time for those moments, when it really is just me and the boys, where they feel they have more than half a day when I’m not trying to juggle 50 things at once, and they have me… to themselves.

It was a lesson for me to sometimes… just…. slow down!