After returning from a three week vacation, here is what I was counting on for our first day back:
- Suitcases unpacked
- Groceries to fill the empty frig
- Lunch with my husband who has missed his family the last two weeks
- Mail sorted
- Our son’s next door neighbor friend to play with
- Writing in my new planner (I have a bit of an issue with planners and try out a different one to my dismay every year…Tangent.)
Here is what I was not counting on:
- A boy impacted by change in routine and surroundings
- One who would be missing his grandmother and wears his emotions on his sleeve
- One who was so excited to have lunch with his daddy, that he did not consider that Rob would have to go back to work. Distraught would be an understatement.
- Which lead to the quote “First I had to say goodbye to Abuela and now I have to say goodbye to Daddy. This is another terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”
- Needing to be close by. While playing outside with his friend he would come in about every ten minutes for a hug.
- Every stuffed animal of his having an injury that required a band-aid or tape.
It took me until 3pm to figure out that unpacking can wait. Groceries bought can sit on the counters. My new planner can be blocked off with the words ‘play with your son’.
And so we sat in his messy room. We played with legos. He built the Mos Eisley Cantina while repeating his newly coined phrase “I see London, I see France, I see Luke Skywalker’s underpants.”
Over and over.
He smiled and laughed. He created. He knew he was safe and heard. There was routine and steadiness. Life would go on.
God holds up a magnifying glass to my lego playing time.
Through his lens I remember the bigger themes and patterns of life. The times I said to God “This is not what I was counting on. Not what I had planned. This is how I need my day, my week, my life to go”
And how often have I found joy in what seemed like detours. Delight in discovery. Silliness in talking about London and France.
So no, my day was not what I was counting on.
It was better.
How was your day?
Linked up with Faith Filled Friday
In contrast to your story, here is how Tuesday afternoon/evening went at my house…
what I was counting on:
– having enough time to bring in the groceries, put them away, clean the kitchen.
– making a delicious meal to encourage my husband using the squash that he worked so hard to grow
– children who would need to play outside after being cooped up at the grocery store
– husband home “late”, around 6:30 instead of 6pm.
and I had enough time and things could technically have worked, except for the things I wasn’t counting on:
– daughter finding the one shovel she shouldn’t play with and using it inappropriately
– daughter falling flat on her face on the cement patio trying to recover said shovel from my hand. I actually heard a soft thump as her skull hit the cement *shivers down my spine*
– comforting daughter and hoping the bleeding stops soon
– stressed out, bored, worried older brother needing attention and letting me know by using escalating goofy and inappropriate behavior
– poopy diaper EXPLOSION!
– hungry and therefore very cranky children waiting for a dinner that didn’t come till 7pm
– husband actually coming home at 8:30 instead of 6:30. Yes, he had told me about this the day before and I totally forgot. Of course he had already ate and it was way past dinner time so he never tasted the fancy meal I had worked so hard to make for him.
I wanted to hard to honor my husband and instead I yelled at my kids all evening and drove myself crazy. Maybe this is God’s way of showing me that doing things in my own strength is futile.
Oh Alex…I’ve had so many days like that! We somehow get through them- and fall into bed at night. Thankfully they don’t define us, but sure do test us.
Wednesday was hard too but Thursday I got to enjoy (bittersweet) fancy meal leftovers and I didn’t have to make dinner. I found some time to think about my next day prayerfully and today is going great so far. If/when things start to fall apart later in the afternoon, your post will remind me to stop and reassess instead of stubbornly sticking to the plan that is no longer working.
Now that my CA family (2yr,4yr old and 2 parents) have relocated back to PA and are staying with us until they get situated is a true adjustment of the wills:)
This is what I expected out of my days:
A nice quiet and peaceful home
My favorite TV shows all to myself
A nice, clean, neat and orderly home
When my phone rang, I could say, just give me a minute and I will come
Not having to cook every night because Den and I don’t mind left overs
Laundry once a week
Sleeping until my body woke me up
Able to leave the house at a moments notice
My calender scheduled with many different things to do without conflict
Now I have a very different reality for my days:
The constant sounds of children and family, some not so pleasant sounds:)
TV when I can get to it and have to watch whatever is presently on
My nice, clean and orderly house is a faint memory
When the phone rings I need to co ordinate with everyone on what I want to do
Cook every night because left overs are not enough for everyone
Wake with the sounds of fussy, non morning children
To leave the house is “will everything be ok while I am gone”
My calender needs to coinside with the activities of everyone else
Not my expected days but praise God….he has given me better one’s!!!!
What a blessing you are to your CA family who is staying with you. I know a couple of friends/families who have moved to another state where they didn’t know anyone and it has been so hard for them, even when they got connected with a church right away. You should make 2 new lists: the things they would be counting on if they didn’t live with you and the things they can count on thanks to you. 🙂
Val I was smiling as I read this.
What a great summary! And I’m thinking my mom could write something similiar of our stay with her when we moved from Seattle.
Praying for you in the midst of the transition and that places of joy jump out in the at times chaotic.
When my son was younger, he had similar reactions when we had to leave grandparents we’d visited for the week. Sounds like you handled your situation perfectly! Great post. Nice blog. (Visiting from Faith Filled Friday blog hop.)
Laura Thanks for stopping by. It was my first time linking to Faith Filled Friday:)
Thank you for your encouragement!
PS My maiden name is Poole
Thank you for linking up! I’m having one of those kind of days too-so this is quite helpful! Blessings!
Thank you for stopping by!
What a great post! Sometimes we just need to give our kids some undivided attention 🙂 What a lovely blog you have here. I am a Momma of a little boy just starting kindergarten and a pastor’s wife too. New follower on your blog here.
http://www.heiditakingtheplunge.blogspot.com
Hi Heidi! Thank you for reading…and encouraging. Love meeting other pastor’s wives- definitely different than being any other profession’s wife. Looking forward to getting to know you 🙂