Always Busy .... No More!

This is the busiest season of the year. Right before the holidays, there is so much to do and things to get done that we are constantly running from one thing to a next. There are holiday parties to attend or to hosts, Christmas events to go to, children performances, Santa visits, hectic work schedules to be completed before the year ends, shopping, baking, cooking, decorating, and etc. Even though this is the time of year where we should reflect and prepare for the birth of our Lord, we often forget about the reason for this special season and get caught up in everything else that comes with the holiday preparations. And I'm so guilty of all of the above.

 

Right now, I should be working on my in-laws Christmas gift as it needed to be shipped already yesterday, the gingerbread house is still sitting in its box, none of the Christmas gifts are wrapped yet and there is tons of paperwork to go thru that is cluttering up my desk. But you know what, I don't care. It all can wait. I'm slowly realizing that trying to keep up and having constantly a full schedule makes me miss out on the most important things in life: spending quality time with my children.

Extra cuddles were needed today as she didn't feel quite right.

So instead of working on one of the many projects while the kids nap, I went ahead and laid in bed with my little girl until she fell asleep. She is feeling off today and I think she needed some extra cuddles and love. It felt good to forget about time and just to enjoy the moment. Because I fear that somewhere in the midst of this busy life I’ve been trying to keep up, my 2 babies are busy growing up and I will miss it.

 

My husband reminded me the other day that the kids and I are constantly on the go, running errands and doing things even during the non-holiday season. It seems that I am constantly running from one thing to another. There is always something to do or to keep up with:

Keeping up with playdates and birthday parties.

Keeping up with others on social media.

Keeping up with household chores and work.
Keeping up with emails, phone calls and appointments.
Literally, keeping up with anything and everything but the here and now.

Thus, I decided for myself that it is time to slow down, to take a deep breath and to focus on what is truly important in life: being with my kids before they grow up too quickly. This will go hand in hand with our year of taking off, moving, and enjoying a simpler lifestyle. Starting now and definitely making it a New Year's resolution, 2015 will be the year we stayed home more, the year we learned that saying no is sometimes the best answer for our family, the year we slowed down and enjoyed our time together. It will be the year I stopped trying to keep up busy schedules so I could really watch my children grow up.