Last week my two year old ran fever, my husband and I were sick and we still had to deal with our two month old waking up several times a night. It wore me down. I still feel a little wore down.

And today it ocurred to me – Balance isn’t about always keeping the different balls in the air. It isn’t about being supermom or getting it all done all of the time. It’s not about perfection. Balance is about learning when it’s okay to let some of the balls drop and being comfortable with which ones you let go.

So today, I was exhausted. At one point I could have sworn I had fever. It was 80 outside, I had no central air and inside it was muggy and warm yet I was shivering and covering up with a blanket because of the chills. I didn’t accomplish much. But I kept my family fed – reasonably well.

I got on the floor and played dinosaurs with my two year old. I read bedtime stories to my children. The dishes aren’t done yet and the laundry didn’t get done for the day. But – I figure when my children look back, their favorite moments won’t be watching me wash the dishes or mopping the floor, but of me reading the story twice or growling like a T-Rex and pretending to be the mountain for their toy cars.

So, if I find some days I just can’t get it all done, I have to examine my priorities and if it’s not tops – then it’s not on my list. And I don’t do it. And finally coming to that point where it’s okay and releasing the feelings of failure if it doesn’t get done has brought tremendous relief for me.  And I realize that in this balancing act, I am successful even when ‘it’ doesn’t get ‘all done’.

Welcome back!

It’s been a week since I’ve challenged myself to drink water.  I have to admit that the last few days I got off track. Sickness has run rampant through the house and between a baby that is up all night anyway and a toddler sick with fever and vomiting, it’s been hard to remember which way the toothpaste is supposed to go on the toothbrush much less to drink my 6-8 glasses a day.

So, I’m extending the challenge another week – heck – I’m actually gonna try to live this way because even WITH the sickness, mine, my husbands, our son’s, I can tell that drinking water like that has made a difference in how I feel.  On days I drank water, I felt more energetic, thought with more clarity – just an overall cleaner feeling on my insides.

Being sick is also why I have slowed down on writing. When your child is sick, all your priorities change. Which, reminds me that I’m thankful that we have health insurance (I remember what it felt like when we didn’t), and am grateful that our elected officials approved the CHIP program with enough votes to override a veto. (I hope they stick to their guns). Having a sick child you can’t take care of is a horrible feeling for a mom and it is one that NO mother in a America should have to experience.