Navigating the New Normal

Well after welcoming baby #3 to our family on June 1st I am trying to pull up my blog socks and update. Navigating the new normal in our family means letting some housekeeping go, trying to get out and enjoy summer and finding out my kids' amazing thresholds for long car trips! Life has been fuller in the past two months and I am grateful to have so much.

My thoughtful moments are few and far between but I was reminded this morning that we shouldn't judge others by what we see on the outside. This reminder came in the form of a facebook post that went something like this: the 15 year old with the toddler is not a slut, she was raped at 13; the fat man has an out of control thyroid; the ugly old man was scarred in battle when he fought for his country as a young man... How often do we jump to the wrong conclusions?

I just got home from a solo parenting nightmare of taking all three kids, including a nursing infant, on a 12 hour drive for an extended long weekend/ family reunion. I was so blessed on the drive home to have a stranger walk over to my table and tell me that I was being a great mom. My vanity was stroked and my internal conscience wished I lived up to that praise. To earn this comment I had made frequent stops, allowed the kids a couple of hours to splash and play at a lakeside picnic area, and put on a dvd in a quiet parking lot while I rested and fed the baby. By the time we arrived at this restaurant after 8 hours on the road and with 3 more hours ahead of us, we were rested, happy, and enjoying each other's company. How ironic that in a situation I would usually find very stressful I was reminded of what my best parenting should look like. My lesson learned and hopefully remembered is: it doesn't matter how long it takes - enjoy the journey.

Translated to life at home:
- it doesn't matter if we're late
- plan ahead and be organized so that I'm not stressed out
- get enough sleep (even if it means calling in reinforcements and taking a nap occasionally)
- find time to focus my mind and spirit
- most importantly the kids are my priority and my concern needs to for their needs ahead of a clean house, beautiful meal, a social engagement, etc...

Looking after their needs has a funny way of eliminating the things that can cause me to boil over and lose my temper with them. Usually they're acting out because they're being ignored or just not given enough activity and direction. I'm a big fan of letting them devise their own entertainment (probably a future blog topic), but I am realizing that the opportunities for making great memories with my kids is passing quickly and the more that I slow down and don't sweat the small stuff, the better our memories will be after the fact.

Life is a journey that I want to enjoy.