I have a confession to make:
I found it very ironic when my cleaning list came out last Monday because my kitchen that day looked like this:
Here’s the thing about #momlife that I’m sure you all know already: life doesn’t always go according to plan.
No matter how many times I say “this is the week I stick to my calendar,” sometimes it’s just out of my control.
Here is a snapshot of my last three weeks:
Week #1: my husband was on call and got called in 3 nights plus Saturday, along with working his normal daytime hours. At the end of the week, he was exhausted. Plus, I got sick so it was a rough weekend for both of us.
Week #2: Monday we both had a chance to catch our breath, but then we all took a turn with a stomach bug. The illness caused my daughter to regress in her potty training and has accidents all day long.
I also got a flat tire in the only vehicle that holds all the kids and then locked my keys in the same car a few days later.
I washed all the bedding this weekend after everyone was better and then my dogs/children peed on EVERY SINGLE BED within 24 hours.
Week #3: Tonight I decided to stay home while the rest of my family went to church because I had a migraine (as I have each day for the last three days) and I just needed to rest. However, I went into my daughters’ room to find that someone had peed on their bed AGAIN, this time while the mattress protector wasn’t on (because it was still in the dryer), so I got to spend my “relaxing” evening dealing with that. Baking soda and vinegar to the rescue, I guess.
There are some moments, hours, days, maybe even weeks (as I recall pregnancy with my third child) that keeping the children alive is about all I can manage.
Fortunately, I have an incredibly supportive husband who tells me keeping the children alive is my main job and that anything on top of that is just a bonus. I guess that means I’m winning at this mom life thing, right?!
However, this does bring up one negative about keeping a strict calendar: it is incredibly overwhelming to open your calendar of tasks after you get behind. On Sunday morning I opened my calendar and three full days had gone by that I had not gotten a single task completed from my list.
This is when it’s good to “hit the reset button” as the saying goes.
As much as I dread looking at my calendar when I get so behind, it actually helps my frame of mind to get it back up-to-date. Please note first: depending on personality and circumstances, you may want to take a period of time to rest once things return to normal (whatever that currently means) before tackling your calendar again. Or you may be the type who needs to jump right back in to feel like you’re not falling further behind.
Here’s how I adjust once I’ve taken a breath:
The “daily items” can just be deleted from each day that’s past because they’ll show up again tomorrow. I was supposed to clean the bathroom on Wednesday? Good thing Wednesday is here again in 3 days – delete! Even the larger, less frequent items can sometimes be delayed for a while, maybe even until the next time they pop up. Clearing my calendar of unnecessary items and re-prioritizing what’s left helps me feel better prepared for the day ahead. That is, until the next emergency pops up tomorrow.
How do you hit the reset button after a period of craziness? Do you like to take some time to regroup or do you like to jump right back in?
I’d love to hear all of your ideas that will help me keep what little sanity I have left!
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