Someone told me once that the "Little Years" were filled with very long days and short years. I'm not sure how that works, but I've found it to be true. There are days I think the crushed Cheerios and sippy cups in the TV cabinet (how long has THAT been there???) will never end, but somehow my oldest is 4 and my youngest will be one in just over a week. What happened? Time flew by and I hardly noticed. I have got to pay more attention, or I'm going to miss it!
I feel as though I've done better lately. I've tried to focus on my children more during the day: playing, conversing, teaching and enjoying them. Of course, with my task-oriented personality I still find myself chiseling away at my to-do list, telling them (what seems like one hundred times per day), "I can't (fun childish activity), because I have to (boring old grown-up stuff)." Lately, however, I've been working on finding ways to get my list done and hang out with my kids. My oldest is 4 now, so she can help with laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, and a few other things. I've also started taking short breaks between chores. We dance, we play, we make the chores a game (most days). This may sound like common sense to some, but to those of us who are "I've got a job to do- I've got to get it done now- no one had better get in my way!" type people, it's a completely foreign concept.
And do you know what? It's amazing what has happened. I've really come to enjoy my kids more. Since rearranging my priorities, I've come to welcome a playful interruption during chore time instead of feeling frustrated that "I can never get anything done around here- BLAH!." Truth is, when my kids are happy I get MORE done (and faster!). It gives me time to invest in two of the greatest relationships I will ever have. These years go by too quickly to waste time on windows and floors. Don't get me wrong- I'm not saying that you should forsake responsibility and pretend the housekeeping fairy is hard at work as you give piggy-back rides through the Laundry Forest- well, actually, that second part's not such a bad idea.
What I'm trying to say is: have fun today. Play with your kids. Turn the "boring, old grown-up stuff" into something enjoyable. You may just need it even more than they do! So, if you must go through the Laundry Forest, slay the Dingy Dragon, gather the pixie dust that spilled all over the bookcases, or climb to the top of Mt. Dishy, then do it in style! Make it count. Give your kids a new perspective on chores. It's all about the little things- because what's little in our giant, grown-up eyes is HUGE in the eyes of a preschooler. Don't underestimate the power of your attitude today, whatever is on your to-do list. And don't underestimate the power of God's love that can cover a multitude of sins. Let today be a new day- and just have fun.
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