It is time to design our annual Christmas card. Last night. I was going through our family pictures. I froze! How hadn’t I noticed how much Lia Catherine had grown? In one year, our vibrant caboose quickly traded her chunky cheeks and stubby legs for a pair of sassy eyes and stilts!
I am too busy. It is my sobering reality. Recognizing that our girls have almost outgrown our laps, I must recommit to maintaining work-life balance. Like many working mothers, I often battle with feelings of guilt. When I am at work, I think about what I am missing at home. When I am at home, I think about what I could be accomplishing at work.
I love my career. I love my family more. Twenty years from now, it is unlikely that I’ll remember negotiating a community property settlement. When that time comes, I have no doubt that I will still remember four-year-old Lillian Charlotte’s determination while planning her first Thanksgiving day magic show for an audience of family…and how she beamed with pride, when they cheered!
Our girls are so happy and so fun. I value the time I get to spend with my family. Life is way too short to be too busy for them. I will intentionally be present. I want to be part of my family’s sweetest memories. God knows they have blessed me beyond what I could have ever imagined.
Babies Don’t Keep
Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockaby, lullaby too.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard, there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most beautiful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullaby loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
I want to hear from you
What tips do you have for a mom seeking to prioritize quality time with her kids?
Let me know in the comments.
