I think that a lot of women feel like they have to do it all and be the best. We have to keep our houses clean, our kids have to be perfectly behaved, we have to cook gourmet meals, and be happy and cheerful all the time. Hopefully we all realize that that just isn't going to happen all the time!
But
sometimes it does.
I've been feeling awesome lately. I've found that I am must less down in the dumps and negative about myself and life in general if I keep busy and try to do things that I enjoy.
My mother might faint if she reads this but since I've been a stay at home mom I have found two new things that I actually really enjoy: cooking and (gasp!) cleaning!
So here's what a typical weekday looks like for me lately. There is no routine to my Saturdays and Sundays except for church. I really am not trying to say that I'm super woman, but when things go well I feel like I am! And it feels great. :)
~Boys wake up, get them breakfast, clean up the kitchen.
~Put Dean down for a nap then go for a 2-4 mile run on my "new to me" treadmill (I LOVE it!).
~Shower and do my makeup. I rarely do my hair (which is why I want to cut it) but if I at least do my makeup then I feel better about myself. :)
~Do my cleaning for the day. Each day I have a self-assigned chore to do. Sometimes I take my kids out to the park now do cleaning later, it depends on their moods. Also, on Friday I don't have a chore, it's my catch up day. If I got everything done and don't need to catch up then I bake! It's good motivation for me. :) I'm finding all these new recipes on Pinterest so I've been trying new ones every Friday. Yummy.
~Lunch and kitchen clean up.
~Hopefully Dean takes another nap and then I use this time to play with Brennen and teachn him stuff and if Dean's not asleep then I try to get the boys outside (especially if I didn't in the morning) and/or run errands if I need to.
~Head over to Gwen's to teach piano from about 3:30-5:00 or 5:30. I have 16 students now! I LOVE it! I feel like getting all of these piano students was an answer to prayers. It keeps me in a good routine throughout the whole day and it gives me something to do that I really enjoy that's for ME. Plus the little bit of extra income is going to be nice.
~Cook and eat dinner then clean up the kitchen.
~Read scriptures as a family (we're not the best about this every day.... we're trying to find a time that works well for us!)
~Baths if it's bath day. If not then we usually just play with all the toys while we're cleaning up. I say "we" because, yes, I do play with the toys. :)
~Read stories to the boys and get them ready and in bed.
~Hopefully Dean is in bed by 9:00. Whether he is or not, Matt and I usually watch an episode or two of whatever we're currently watching on Netflix.
~Journal writing and bed.
~Wake up and feed Dean at least twice during the night.
Every now and then the day actually goes like that and then I do feel like super woman! I LOVE routines but I'm getting much better at being flexible when things don't go exactly as I planned.
I'm also really working on some personal goals like reading my scriptures and writing in my journal every day and I'm doing a good job keeping up! It's been a few months since I've missed a day reading and I feel so much more spiritually uplifted. I'm also working on being more patient. I'm the primary pianist in my ward and the kids just finished learning (reviewing, really) "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus" and I just love the line "be gentle and loving in deed and in thought" in that song and I think of it often when I find myself losing my patience.
I'm not blogging this to brag about how awesome I am (HA!), I'm doing it so that I can remember that it's ok for me to feel good about myself and my little accomplishments.
No super woman would be complete without her super MAN so I wanted to write a few things about mine. :)
*Matt is usually the one who gets up with the kids because he lets me sleep in most mornings since I get up with Dean a lot.
*He goes to school and is working hard to finish up his degree. He's keeping up with his homework which is mostly just a LOT of reading in Spanish and he also helps me a ton with the kids and makes them feel loved and special.
*He's working two jobs right now. Neither of them are full time but it still keeps him busy. He just started working at Spring Wind (an assisted living home) as a CNA and then also does work for his dad's lawn business. He likes this CNA job because the people are more able.... :) But the poor guy has to wear scrubs with a pattern, they can't be solid, and man it is HARD to find scrubs for a guy! The first day he had to one with cartoon turkeys and bright pink leaves. It was the least girly one at wal mart. :)
*He really shows us that he loves us. When we first got married I was a little bummed that the cute "romantic" things like poems and flowers stopped coming (yes, he wrote me poems! they weren't cheesy, though, just funny and cute) but he shows me he loves me in ways that are so much better than that! He helps me when I need it, he encourages me, he loves our little boys, and he works really hard so that our family can have the things that we need.
And as if this post wasn't long enough, the last thing I wanted to post was these lyrics. We heard this song on the radio the other day. I've heard it a lot but haven't really listened to the words. Matt doesn't pay attention to words of songs at all but he actually noticed these along with me and I think it's our new theme song. It's called "Better Life" by Kieth Urban (Not that our life is bad! We've just had a bit of bad luck lately).
Friday night and the moon is high
I'm wide-awake just watchin' you sleep
And I promise you you're gonna have
More than just the things that you need
We ain't got much now, We're just startin' out
But I know somehow paradise is comin'
Someday baby, You and I are gonna be the ones
Good luck's gonna shine on
Someday baby you and I are gonna be the ones
So hold on
We're headed for a better life
Oh now there's a place for you and me
Where we can dream as big as the sky
I know it's hard to see it now
But baby someday we're gonna fly
This road we're on, you know it might be long
But my faith is strong
It's all that really matters
Someday baby, You and I are gonna be the ones
Good luck's gonna shine on
Someday baby you and I are gonna be the ones
So hold on
We're headed for a better life
So hold on, hold on
C'mon baby, hold on
Yeah, we're gonna have it all
And ooh
Someday baby, You and I are gonna be the ones
Good luck's gonna shine on
Someday baby you and I are gonna be the ones
So hold on
We're headed for a better life
Oh, a better life
Hey we're gonna leave this all behind us baby, wait and see
We're headed for a better life, you and me
We're gonna break the chains that bind and, finally we'll be free
We're gonna be the ones that have it all, you and me
Just hold on tight now baby
