Categories: accomplishmentanemiaattitudeBiblebreastfeedinggoalsGodgrandparentshard timesNew Year's goals

Spring Break Just Got a Whole Lot Better!

New York in the fall has nothing on DC in the spring!

Ah, Spring, that glorious time of year when I want to wear short sleeves, but I can’t find them. My nose is stuffy, my eyes itch, and yet for some reason I feel wholly and ridiculously happy. I want to hug the spring this year–every zyrtec requiring moment of it is pulling me out of the dark-ish zone I’ve been inhabiting for too long to admit!

This spring break started out seriously dull. The kids were having a blast: playing with their friends all day, no homework, no school. “Everything is awesome. Everything is great.”

Meanwhile, I was drowning in babies, diapers, bottles, breast milk pumping, dishes, cooking, laundry mountains, toys everywhere, and worst of all: cleaning up under the high chair. grrrrrrrrr-oss!!! No matter how hard I work all day, I never put a dent in the work load, and I wasn’t taking the time to just have fun with the boys.

Enter Tuesday. There’s something about knowing that your mom and dad are on their way to your house that just puts you in a better mood. Phew!!! Plus, I suddenly stumbled upon a revelation.

I was praying, something like, “Oh God, how will I ever do all of this? I am so tired.”

When suddenly He reminded me of my New Year’s Resolution: Chill.

Oh yeah!

I’d forgotten about that. My revelation: if I keep making lists of 20 things to do each day, and not even including the morning chores and baby feedings on the to-do list, I will never get past ‘overwhelmed.’ I don’t want to live overwhelmed!

Why is it that I have to keep learning these same lessons over and over again? Isn’t that the definition of a fool?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the to do list should have the 6 most important things to do that day. I am going back to that. My list looked something like this for Wednesday:

1. Get everyone ready for the day. (an accomplishment in itself)

2. Dishes

3. Laundry: Just do your best. ; )

4. Feed everyone: three meals, 2 snacks

5. Target trip

6. De-clutter for 1 hour.

Now this is a list I can handle!! In addition to giving myself attainable goals, I also set myself up for success by taking my prescribed medication: iron with vitamin C. These aren’t intellectual breakthroughs, but when you’re going through a time in life that is just difficult, for one reason or another, clinging back on to these simple truths means a lot.

God has set my feet back on the rock. This song is in my head!!!

“Jesus, lover of my soul
Jesus, I will never let You go
You’ve taken me from the miry clay
You’ve set my feet upon the rock
And now, I know

I love You, I need You
Though my world may fall
I’ll never let You go
My Saviour, my closest friend
I will worship You until the very end”
Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/hillsong/jesus-lover-of-my-soul-lyrics

Actually, I just listened to Hillsong’s version of that song, and I wasn’t so impressed. That’s not really my style. I remember it as sung by about 100 college students, every Wednesday night, at Campus Crusade for Christ, back when I was a college student. It was much prettier, the way we did it!

That song comes from Psalm 40:2.

Life has just been getting better and better for me this week! My parents arrived late Wednesday night, and today we had such a good time. Mom, Caleb, JD, and I all headed to Old Town Alexandria. Mom had never been! Now I feel like we need to go again so Dad can go too. We found this little restaurant that I highly recommend for tourists and locals when you want a fairly quick lunch buffet in old town. VERY kid friendly. Caleb said, “I gotta tell my brother about this place.”

All you can eat pizza buffet: Need I say more?

We had a good time in Old Town. There was a moment where I told my mom, “I wish I’d plugged in my GPS…….but don’t worry!” I am notorious for getting lost, but believe it or not, we made it home free of incident.

Guess what!! I even bought myself a DC cherry blossom tourist t-shirt! : ) I will so be wearing that this week!

We’re so excited to have Grandaddy and Nana here. The boys and I are trying to make this trip as fun as possible in hopes that we can convince them to stay extra long.

Oh! Good news/bad news: We were sitting in the living room today when suddenly we realized JD was in the hallway, all the way around the corner. Time to hang the gates.

Alan and me, at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, last year. I was 7 months pregnant.

Ha! I saw a pregnant woman earlier today, and all I could think was, “Oh, man, so thankful this year it isn’t me!” Been there, done that, stretched out a few t-shirts!

May you all have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND. I hope you make all of your goals, smile all the live long day, and have no need for a jacket!!

aprilmomoffour

April is an upbeat, Christian, blog-obsessed, military wife, and home schooling mom of four little boys. She writes about education, travel, and humorous adventures in parenting. Follow along if you’d like a little bit of encouragement and a whole lot of crazy.