This past week has been unexpectedly rough. A little challenging. You can read about that here and here. Despite all, we've trudged through. Took things day by day. Last night, we had our pizza party. Today, we slept in a bit until 7. Got up. Went about our usual routine with the kids. Took them out. Fed them breakfast. Had lots of playtime. Then. We exhaled. I worked in the Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Project Workshop. Lisa rested on the sofa with the kids.
More accurately, she napped.
Nothing eventful happened throughout the afternoon hours while I painted and Lisa napped.
Except...my brain.
It spun like a hamster wheel because I kept reflecting back to this past week. Originally, we thought Lisa was only going to be working super late on Monday. That wasn't the case. She ended up working late all week.
Really. Really. Late.
Between the dinners I had planned on making and our kids not knowing what the hell was going on because Lisa wasn't home when she usually is, I felt like a failure.
As a Work At Home Dog Mom, I've always prided myself on leaving wiggle room just in case the unexpected happens. I've also learned not to make tight schedules throughout the week because usually by Tuesday or Wednesday, I've veered far off the path.
Having that mind frame every week has helped me out considerably.
No, things will very seldom go as planned.
No, I will probably not get everything done on my myriad of lists scattered on the kitchen table.
No, I'm not ever going to be a trophy wife or Dog Mom.
I take things day by day.
I thought I had that entire concept by the balls, but this week made me realize I needed to hone up on a few things.
While eating a scrumptious dinner of leftovers from last night, I told Lisa that I was going to be better prepared in the weeks ahead.
1. Meals. I plan meals every week for the following 7 days. Nothing is ever etched in granite for a specific day. I just want to make sure we have the ingredients for the 7 meals I have planned.
When I plan meals now, I'm going to make sure we have a few backup meals that are light and can be eaten if Lisa gets home after 7 p.m.
2. Our Kids. When 5 p.m. hits, the kids know that Lisa is supposed to be home. They all have their own ways of displaying their worry and panic. At 4, I'm going to get on the floor and initiate playtime and dole out lots of snuggles. The kids love it when I get on the floor with them.
Then, I'll serve them dinner. By the time Lisa gets home, they'll be ready to go outside for another round of playtime. Obviously, I'll have to do this if Lisa gets home too late.
3. Housework. I want to make sure that everything is done before Lisa gets home. It usually is, but when I have an exceptionally busy day, Lisa will jump right in and take care of what I wasn't able to get done. With her extended hours, I want to make sure everything is done before she arrives home from work.
The only thing I want Lisa doing when she gets home is spending time with the kids, changing into her comfy clothing, and relaxing while we eat dinner.
4. The Weekends. Usually on Saturdays, we run errands and catch up on housework and small projects around our home that couldn't get done during the week. Sundays was a day to exhale and Lisa to rest with the kids.
With Lisa working so many hours during the week, we may have to flip those days. Today, she was wiped out.
In addition, earlier today I made a list of all the small projects around our home that need to be done. My goal is to tackle one a day. That way, Lisa doesn't have to worry about those. At all.
5. Being In The Moment. Yes. We already embrace this. But. With Lisa's extended hours, we need to embrace more of those moments. Obviously, if Lisa gets home from work late, our time together as a family is greatly limited. If Lisa needs extra time on the weekends to rest, our extra time together is limited as well.
This simply means that we'll need to be in the moment more. Unplug. Enjoy what little time we have together during the week. Open the lines of communication even more. Totally doable.
We'll be better prepared for next week and the weeks and months ahead.
One of the biggest lessons I've learned this week is that it doesn't matter how much you've honed up on this or that. Life is life. It's going to happen.
Every once in a while, we all need a little reminder.
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