May has been the month of projects. I thought March was, with Carrie’s wedding. But I was wrong.
May Projects:
- Kylie’s shower
- Torri’s shower
- Ward Directory
- Primary Mother’s Day Video
- Kylie’s wedding photography
- Garden Planting & Yard Work
- Cabin re-opening
I’ve tried to fit those projects in around the regular day-to-day work of life and home. I have failed miserably.
This past week Wyatt was gone all week – he came home for FHE on Monday night, only to return to the office once the kids were in bed. And that was the most I saw of him. I even had to drive separate down to Torri’s reception in Utah county because Wyatt only stopped into the reception between meetings he had down there.
But I had my own never ending list to accomplish – things that included an ever growing list of errands . . . return shoes, get directories printed, go to the doctors, go to the dentist, go to Costco, go to the grocery store, go to the grocery store again . . . etc. etc. etc.; I needed to finish planting the garden, I needed to do laundry (the never ending bane!) all while trying to get the house clean (a disaster from my negligence the week before, when I was really in the thick of some projects) and keep the children fed and the piano practiced, and birthday parties attended, etc. etc. etc.
So you can tell what type of a week it was. On Friday we planned to go to the cabin for our first over-nighter. That afternoon as I spent hours (and hours) folding laundry, trying to finish my to-do list before we left, I felt very discouraged. The house was as dirty as it ever really gets, the laundry seemed to have no end in sight, and I still needed to pack and plan for the cabin. I felt overwhelmed and stressed.
I just thought to myself: What I REALLY REALLY NEED is three days by myself.
(And this is a thought I’ve had before)
Three days where the kids and hubby is gone – away from home, but I’m home.
On day ONE I would clean to my hearts content. Without littles underfoot, I could finish the surface cleaning in half a day, and make a good dent in the deep cleaning with the other half the day.
The next day I could finish working on whatever project is on my list for that week (this week it was getting the ward directories printed and getting the yard planted).
And the last day I could spend time working on the projects that I never have time for (scrapbooking, journaling, painting, etc. etc.)
And every night in between I would watch Jane Austen movies and eat take out from my favorite restaurants!
So finally on Friday I was feeling seriously discouraged and frustrated with everything, and I realized I had a choice. I could be put out and annoyed by everything and everyone (and specifically, the plan to go to the cabin), or I could just accept the fact that life would just have to stop. I would have to leave my house a mess, and the yard not completely finished, but I could go and forget about it for two days and just enjoy my time with my family at the cabin, and realize I could start again next week.
So I chose to ignore it, and embrace the weekend for what it was.
And I had a really great time at the cabin. It rained cats and dogs, and we only got to go on one walk around the loop. The rest of the time we spent inside watching old movies I bought at the DI (another errand from this week) and playing games of UNO and eating waffles.
And more than that, I relaxed enough that I got REALLY excited for summer.
Because if I think May is busy, ha ha ha! Summer is already ten times as full! Wyatt and I have been filling out the calendar for summer the past several weeks, and on most days there is not one, but two or three activities vying for our attention and time. We will have to chose as best we can which activities we will participate in, and which ones we will omit. And on some days we will have to say no to everything just so we can stay home and clean the house and weed the yard and fold some laundry . . . or just sit in sheer exhaustion.
Oh, but I do love summer!