Lately though, I've adopted a whole new outlook on my list of chores! I've affectionately titled it the, "clean enough for now" movement! Of course I want to raise our family in as clean a home as possible! I also want to spend as much time with our infant son as is humanly possible! I don't want to miss any of his milestones! We've sacrificed a lot and I'm lucky enough to have a husband who works hard so that I'm able to stay home to take care of Austin myself! Obviously the major chores get done; Cleaning the kitchen & bathroom, dusting (out of selfdefense!), vacuuming and laundry! It's the usual deep cleaning that's taken a back burner!
At this point in the game, I'm still trying to adjust to having a new baby! You'd think after nearly three months of having him home I'd have figured out my new routine by now! That's not the case though! I'm still struggling with the balance it takes to run a household, keep a home clean & raise a child!
Saturday, my husband put it into much clearer perspective for me with the following facebook share:
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class
began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed..
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else---the small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.
Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class
began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed..
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else---the small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.
Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.
Although with severe gluten intolerance, I drink wine (when I'm not pregnant or nursing!) not beer, I get what the author is trying to say!
Before I became pregnant with our son, I had a head full of my idealistic views of what life would be like with children of our own! Even though we had my 12 year old stepdaughter living with us at the time, based on circumstances, it wasn't a real representation of what it would be like! Things are so different once you have children of your own! This is the conclusion I've come to, even after only three months! No matter how many times you hear other parents talk about it, you don't realize until after you've given birth, just how different your life will be! Perfect case in point is the fact that I've been working on this blog post for several days, stopping in between thoughts to care for my beautiful son!
I always thought I'd have a very strict schedule after baby was born! I envisioned him taking long morning naps, giving me ample time to complete my daily tasks! Of course those visions were jaded with that mood setting softness of a great picture! The reality is that I'm on his schedule and that varies from one day to the next! Hell, I'm lucky if I can get a load of laundry into the washer, dried, folded & put away, all in the same day! If my son is teaching me anything, it's the art of patience & better prioritization!
Our little family has been on a mission to simplify as many things in our lives as possible! We've always had huge visions of what we want our home to look like and someday it will be everything we've dreamed! For now though, it too has become the home of, "good enough for now"! We figure if we're OK with our friends & family being in the space then we're good until we can afford to make the renovations, both in time & money!
I always thought I'd have a very strict schedule after baby was born! I envisioned him taking long morning naps, giving me ample time to complete my daily tasks! Of course those visions were jaded with that mood setting softness of a great picture! The reality is that I'm on his schedule and that varies from one day to the next! Hell, I'm lucky if I can get a load of laundry into the washer, dried, folded & put away, all in the same day! If my son is teaching me anything, it's the art of patience & better prioritization!
Our little family has been on a mission to simplify as many things in our lives as possible! We've always had huge visions of what we want our home to look like and someday it will be everything we've dreamed! For now though, it too has become the home of, "good enough for now"! We figure if we're OK with our friends & family being in the space then we're good until we can afford to make the renovations, both in time & money!
I may never find the perfect balance but, at least for now, I'm willing to embrace life and enjoy all of my beautiful little golf balls and drink wine with friends again; Once I'm done nursing my son, of course! The pebbles & sand will always be there, lurking in the cracks of my amazingly, beautiful, blessed & wonderful good enough life!
