Balance

I'm not one for figuring out how to balance my life when I have a million things to do. You would think that after 22 months of full-time school that I would be able to figure it out by now. You would think.

So, I'm a list maker. It's the only way I can give proper attention to what's most important without filling my time with things with little meaning. I at one point in the last year had to make myself an adult chore-chart of sorts, except it included the most basic of things, like brushing my teeth, saying my prayers, reading 3 books a day to my kids, and making dinner for my family. Super embarrassing, but that's basically sums up my frazzled brain.

The plus thing about being overwhelmingly busy: I can go grocery shopping for an entire month at a time. Because really, who has time to bustle around Winco every single week? I make up a list of about 25 meals and buy all the ingredients for them. Vegetables will last at least a month in my fridge, but of course, a couple times a month Dustin comes home with more bananas and milk. Anyway, it saves a butt-load of money and has helped me become super creative. I would rather eat hot dogs on our BBQ with a suddenly salad mix.... again.... instead of drive the 2 miles to Winco and buy stuff more often. And by the way, recently I decided to start buying the good hot dogs (about 3$ a package) instead of the 79 cent package of BAR-S who-the-crap-knows-what's-in-there hot dogs, and it has changed my life.

I also have enlisted my children into folding laundry, even Jack can fold towels and rags good enough that I don't care to refold them. And to save another small ounce of time daily, Dustin has installed a real drinking fountain in our garage so I don't have to get the kids cups of water all day long.

But don't get me wrong, I still waste time sometimes. Last week on Wednesday I got so much homework done and it was so flipping hot upstairs and Dustin wasn't going to be home for another 2 1/2 hours and the only thing to do was to go down to the cool basement to watch Mrs. Doubtfire. What a waste. In a lot of ways.

So, tomorrow when you wake up, grab some paper and a pen and make a list of everything you want to do that day. Write down everything. It feels wonderful to cross off several things just from peeing, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed and making our bed. I bet you'll be more productive! Or at least you will feel more productive. And that is what is most important.