Expectations...

It has taken me a long time to figure out this whole parenting thing...I mean, I have an almost three year old, I should have this down by now...right?  Wrong.  I have been learning in leaps and bounds these past three years, and just plain old trying to figure things out.  I have come to realize that the areas I struggle most have to do with unrealistic expectations.  For example, Jordan works a lot.  He works 24, 48 and 72 hour shifts.  There are more times than I would like that he tallys up 120 hours in one week.  So on those few precious days that he is home I have grand expectations.  Then when they are not met, which in reality they never are, I get disappointed, and I waste those precious days being frustrated.  In my mind I was not allowing myself to enjoy the day until...I was showered and presentable looking, the kids were clothed and lookin' cute, the house was clean and tidy, laundry was put away...and then we could begin to enjoy the day.  Yeah right.  Those simple few things end up taking all day, and before I know it the day is gone and Jordan is back to work, and I forgot to enjoy any part of the day.  Sounds ridiculous now that I think about it, but for some reason the days are a whirlwind of getting things done, and then they are over and a new day begins with Jordan back at work.  I realized that had to end, I had to re-evaluate my expectations.  The day begins when I wake up and get out of bed.  I need to learn to enjoy getting the kids up and dressed, enjoy making breakfast, lunch and dinner, enjoy cleaning up the kitchen over and over again, enjoy doing 4-6 loads of laundry a week and folding and putting away endless amounts of clothes.  I need to enjoy these tasks, because this is my life right now.  I need to be okay with not having make up on, and having my hair in a crazy mess 75% of the time, because life is still going on, and I don't want to miss it! This new perspective has brought me so much peace.  I am working on brainwashing Clara...for example...kids are such copy cats of what we do.  So if I go around cleaning with a smile on my face then she joins along.  She insisted I buy her a pink sponge at the store the other day, so now she goes around the house scrubbing here and there, saying, "I love having a clean house" and "doing dishes is so much fun."  I just have to laugh at how she mimics things I say, and the more I say it the more I believe it, and the more good habits she picks up.  Win...win.

Clara's first time flying a kite, she was giddy with excitement!

On another note, we went beach camping last weekend with our best camping buddies.  Matt, Jeannine and Elora stayed in our tent trailer with us, and I just love how much fun we have.  Yes the kiddos are sometimes loud at night, and wake up at the crack of dawn, but it is so worth it.  Jeannine's sister's family and their 3 kids camped as well, and it made for a fun and crazy campsite.  I am checking the calendar as we speak to see when we can go camping again!