Easter's Extra Step… or Lack Of One

Last year, a few weeks before Easter, we had decided to get ourselves some chickens.

Easter around the bend, I wanted to surprise the kids with these fluffy bundles of feathers chick Easter morning. Taking that step from a good Easter, to great one.

A lot of planning, effort, and road running, went into wanting to make my babies Easter most magical, with Bunny brought baby hens.

Unfortunately, the way things worked out the chicks found their way into our home before the Bunny could bring them. I was a bit disappointed, myself.

Regardless the Bunny's work, was still a hit.

This year, when at the grocery store, just a few days before Easter, the cashier had commented about the groceries overwhelming my cart, being for Easter's weekend… I think I caught us both off guard when my face drained of its color and my mouth blurted, "Easter! Easter is Sunday! THIS.Sunday! Shit."

This prompted a text to my mom to "keep expectations low" about Sunday's festivities, brought on Easter eve anxiety of 'not doing enough'…. not making the holiday I love  'special enough' … Easter itself felt like a huge leap, let alone to add an extra step… and I was annoyed with myself that I found relief in the very chickens that I put so much planning into, last year, would at least provide the needed eggs for this egg savvy season, this year.

I had to settle in the 'it is what it is' reality of things quickly and once I did… I relished in the lack of having to make that 'extra step' I often feel so compelled to make.

And I'm pretty sure the kids, none the wiser, felt the Bunny was as on his A game that day…his work, was once again a hit…

Easter Party Catch Up

My intentions are to use today as a bit of a breather, from the last few weeks. Play a bit of catch up from certain areas I just haven't been able to squeeze in…or haven't made any extra effort too...Hence this morning's blog post.

I've been keeping at a steady pace with both work and play. Despite the obligations that are expected to be accomplished within this day's hours, there's a lack of urgency to them….I like that. A lot.

Life's been tapping into the reserved energy source of Sam, lately. Not to suggest it's all been from a negative syphon, but it's been draining none the less. I've been telling myself that time will naturally be found for it all…pretty sure that's just a coping mechanism on my part, but I'm nestling my reassurance in the idea, for now.

Honestly, I'm my own worst enemy in this sense. When things are a bit too pressing, too real life, too adult, I can't help but counter that all by throwing in some play, mindlessness, and fun…

Example: Last weekend's, last minute, Easter Party.

{Bunny Bait Station: precomposed White Trash Mix with added food coloring colored coconut, raisins, marshmallows and fruity pebble cereal, instead of captain crunch.}

It was great, low key, and right up my alley of releasing a bit of the stress and successfully shifting the focus for a bit... 

But now that I'm back to coaching myself, to keep up with the momentum on the less fun, from day to day, I know it's time for me to step it back a bit, assess the pulls, and funnel my focus.

Realigning the balance between responsibilities and rewards, a little more evenly…. or at least favoring in the play.

Happy Thursday.

Mothering vs. Parenting

I'm not a perfect mother, but I'm not foolish enough to think I'm anything less than a good one.

Sometimes, I'm too impatient, too temperamental, too tired, too busy, too overwhelmed, too distracted. But I kiss the booboos, teach the manners, apologize when wrong, lead by example, relish the giggles, and fiercely love my babies.

Mothering my littles is easy, natural, and despite my stumbles on short tempers, weariness, and second guessing….. I know within it all, I thrive in the good of it's roll.

The last few weeks, I've woken up to the fact that all my doubts of being a mother, aint got nothing on having just scratched the surface of my path's journey in being a parent.

I place more security, than I should, in the comforts I find with a cause and effect approach to most things. This way of thinking, I feel, compliments my mothering nicely, however, I'm learning, it's less flattering to my method of what I would consider successful parenting.

The last few weeks, Wesley has been lying, sneaking, and track covering… I know I mauled over my approach to handling this longer than I should have, for two reasons… One, I secretly hoped my subtle talks to him about truth, trust, and kindness would be enough for him to change the course of his behavior and secondly, I didn't want to forge this path, take that irreversible first step, acknowledge we're at this stage …. I wanted to burry my head in the sand.

The reality is, as appealing as it seemed, we have never been lazy parents, and just because the waters were rippling more than usual, didn't mean we were going to start now.

I'm sure as the situations change, so will our approach to handling them, but I feel confident we at least set a good precedence from where we'll start.

As of Saturday, team Richardson has had their first official "grounding".
The knots in my stomach that I've been suffering for the last few weeks, have subsided. This factor alone telling me, we may not be perfect in our parenting, but we've at least taking the first few steps on a path to being good ones.