Typical Day- And My Blessing

My life feels very hectic these days.  I feel like there is always something or someone that needs my attention and usually (no more than usually I would say always) several things at the same time.  Especially during the hours of 7:00-9:00 A.M. and 4:00-9:00 P.M. The in between hours are filled with trying to catch up only to be overwhelmed and behind by 4:01.

Yesterday this was my schedule.

Benjamin woke up three times during the night.  The first time was before I went to bed.  Rocked him.  Woke up again sometime during the night, put him in bed with me.  Put him back in his bed.  Woke up again, put him in bed with me again.  Put him back in his bed at 6:30 when I got up. I know I am fostering his bad habits.  I just was too tired to deal with his crying last night and he kept kicking off his covers and I was afraid he was cold.

Scriptures and wake up kids at 6:45.  Hannah on piano from about 7:15 to 8:00.  Caroline reading from 7:15- 7:45.  I am either with Hannah at the piano or reading with Caroline during this time.  Caroline starts on the harp about 8:15 and goes until 9:00, I sit and practice with her.  Jumped in the shower at 9:00-9:05.  Took kids to school at 9:10.

Hurried home got up Benjamin.  Dressed and fed Benjamin and Joshua.  Left at 9:30 for primary meeting.  Came in late (again).  Spent the next hour and half bouncing back and forth between talking primary, running home to get a diaper, changing the diaper, trying to facilitate sharing, and soothing a crying Benjamin who tripped and cut his lip.  Left feeling like a huge distraction and no help at all.

Haven't put on make-up or done hair, but left straight from meeting to pick-up Caroline for lunch.  (I had promised her the day before that I would take her to lunch, but I had forgotten.  I felt TERRIBLE, especially when I learned she hadn't bought a lunch because she thought I was just late and still coming to take her to lunch, so even though it wasn't the best day I HAD to take her today).  Dropped Caroline off at school after lunch at 12:15 and drove straight to Joshua's preschool and dropped him off.  On the way realized it was Wednesday and I was scheduled to go help in Caroline's class at 2:15.  Called John to ask if he could come home during that time and work from home.

Got home from dropping off Joshua, put Benjamin straight to bed and started cleaning the breakfast dishes.  Got a call from Hannah that she needed her inhaler.  Ran her inhaler up to the school.  Came home washed the floor, put on make-up, put dinner in the crock pot and then left for Caroline's class.  Left the school at 3:10 came home to meet John who had picked up Joshua from school and then went back to school to pick-up the kids because it was so cold and windy.

Came home and took Hannah to a primary party and dropped Grace off at her reading tutor.  Came home and helped Caroline finish up on her harp which she hadn't finished in the morning and get started on homework.  Picked up Grace, helped her with reading.  Then I started to remind Caroline to get ready for her soccer game.  Left at 5:40 for her soccer game.  It was freezing, but she scored a goal so that was fun.  Left her game early at 6:40 came home finished making dinner, fed those that were there and then left for a Relief Society Visiting Teaching interview at 7:20, got home from that at 7:50 got Benjamin and Joshua ready for bed.  Took Grace upstairs and helped her get ready for bed.  Put the kids to bed and cleaned up the kitchen from dinner.  Watched the news with John and went to bed.

About mid-day I was feeling frustrated and unappreciated.  Why did I have to do all of these things.  Why was no one helping me with any of this stuff that needed to be done.  While I was washing the floor I listed to the Mormon Channel (one of my favorite things).  I was listening to an interview with Elder Gonzalez of the Seventy.  He was taking about his assignment as one of the Presidents of the Seventy and he said, "That is part of my load."  Then he stopped himself and said, "Not part of my load, but part of my blessing, my things to do."

I loved that.  I had been feeling like everything I was doing was a load, but when he changed and said it was a blessing. It made me stop and change the way I was feeling about everything I had to do.  I could look at it as a load or a blessing.  It truly is a blessing.  If I  look at the alternative, having someone else raise my children it seems like a huge blessing.  I enjoy working with my children on their musical instruments or helping them with school work.  I get frustrated when everyone is demanding my attention at the same time, or when they complain about what they need to do or make huge messes.  I need to work through those frustrating moments with patience.  Those are my teaching moments from Heavenly Father.  Just like I am sitting trying to teach my children and help them become better and more accomplished, Heavenly Father is trying to teach me and help me to become better.  My reaction is also teaching my children how to react in difficult or stressful moments.

The day stayed busy and hectic.  Kids still complained and the house was a mess at the end of the day, despite my efforts, but I felt a little better inside knowing it was my blessing and not just my load.