Family Fridays: Doing it All

(I haven't had any time to write this week so this is a draft post I wrote a few weeks ago...)

Despite following a pretty grand weekend, by Tuesday I was completely exhausted, bored and frustrated. I was on the verge of tears as I tried my hardest to COMPLETE something - simple little somethings like unload the dishwasher or put away the laundry. But alas, my itty bitty monkey was not having any of it. He wanted my attention and he wanted it now. Of course, he was perfectly content playing on the floor on his own until I started a task or two - then the whining and manic crawling in my direction ensued. I would appease him for a little while and then try to get back to what I was doing. Nope. Not having it.

So I asked him, I said: Sebastien, how am I supposed to keep the house in order, cook us food and chill out if you keep needing me? He didn't seem to have an answer to that one. He can be quite deflective at times. Oh, ok then.

This was yet another reminder to myself that my job, first and foremost, is to take care of my children. The chores can wait. We are not programed to handle multi-tasking. As efficient as nursing your infant while boiling broth for rice and trying to cut veggies is, it is rather nerve racking if not a tad bit dangerous. So how does one do it all? One doesn't. You focus on one task at a time and nothing else and that, my friends, is the only way to stay sane during the day. It just is.

I often have to remind myself a few times a month that the rest will get done in time but the child needs me now. Once I accept this, the stress of doing it ALL slips off my shoulders. Slightly. But enough to get me through to the end of the day, where, once the itty bitty is asleep, I can finish up my chores and maybe get a few minutes to myself.

So when this afternoon, just as I was about to sit down for lunch, my son wakes up from his nap ensuring that, no, I do not get to eat in peace, I took a deep breath, jammed my food down (I know, not very Ayurvedic of me or pretty I might add) and got ready to play. On my hands and knees, low enough not to notice the dishes piled up or the laundry still sitting on the washer just begging to be put away, I whole heartedly played around with my little chub. I spent a whole afternoon just concentrating on him and him only - enjoying his milk-scented neck rolls, his fast little crawls and his roaring giggle whenever you tickle him on the belly. And you know what? Despite not getting a single thing done, it was really refreshing. It was fun. It is what I am supposed to be doing all day.

Listening to this and this helped too.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.