Who has mastered the concept of dividing the time and energy you have every day to maximize the results in our lives? I want to talk to them – I want to be around them – I just need a perfect plan to go off of and I too can have the perfect balance in life!
Sigh! Okay, so most people I know also struggle to find the balance between their responsibilities, self-care, and having fun with their families. Today I want to share a day in the life of my family that was unexpected and brought us a lot of joy and some perspective on the idea of “balance.”
Let me tell you how hard I struggle to get outside of my own routine – I love to work, I love to keep the house clean, the kids on a routine, I love to know what to expect and I love to be prepared. I do not do spur of the moment very well and entertaining children is sometimes stressful when I think about it in terms of HOW are we going to do something that will appeal to an age range of 8 to 16 years old? I can pretty much predict with at least 99.9% accuracy that I could rope the moon and SOMEONE would not be excited about it.
My husband does better with these spontaneous plans (he even leaves home without water bottles and snacks for the kids and with no general plan at all) GASP! I need a list, an itinerary, and an idea of when the activity will be over.
A few weeks ago we decided to head to Anchorage for the Fur Rondy Festival. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision and I decided that I would just sit back quietly and let my husband run the day. (I would like to report that I was mostly quiet – but they did bring water bottles).
Guess what my friends – it turned out WONDERFULLY. We walked around downtown Anchorage and checked out some of the Fur Rondy festivities – we didn’t ride the rides – we didn’t even see ponies – we didn’t buy cotton candy and expensive carnival snacks. What we did do was enjoy each other’s company.
The kid’s favorite part was roaming around in the Ulu Factory (while Josh told them all about how it was when he worked there many years ago). Next, we took a long walk around downtown in the sunshine and they had a BLAST. We all chatted, we worked up a good appetite for Uncle Joe’s Pizza, and had a wonderful family meal!
My takeaway – We needed that time together out of the house and out of the day-to-day routine! We needed the fresh air, the free fun, and the perspective that a couple of Uncle Joe’s pizzas was a treat on a Sunday afternoon!! It is very easy to get weighed down with the responsibilities of adult life, raising kids, and keeping a house running. So, even a single unexpected day of fun is a memory that will be cherished by the whole family!
What are your tricks and tips for managing a household, a fast-paced career, exercising, eating well, and making the most of your days – I would LOVE to hear about them!!
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