Tonight I am spending an unexpected second night at my sister’s house because being here has been a breath of fresh air at the end of a summer gone stale.
We’ve had a good summer, full of fun trips, relaxing afternoons at the pool, and mornings sleeping in. But so many hours with so many people under the same roof has worn on all of us.
Can we bottle this up?
Over the last 24 hours Andrea and I, with 7 kids between the two of us, have contemplated what we need….if not daily, then at least every once in a while….to maintain our energy and enthusiasm as moms.
We have felt refreshed today because of a few simple changes to our normal routines. Because we’ve been together, we’ve been sharing each other’s burdens and those burdens have felt lighter.
What moms really need
- to wake up on our own after we’ve gotten enough sleep
- to eat a meal without a distraction (or any sharing of bites)
- a built in babysitter that loves to play with kids, hold crying babies, and take preschoolers to public restrooms
- another adult to talk to in the middle of the day and a friend who doesn’t mind phone calls in the middle of the night
- a house that stays clean….magically
- toys that stay organized and sorted
- laundry that puts folds itself and puts itself away
- dishes that can be shoved into a dishwasher and come out clean
- a dishwasher that fits all of the pots, pans, plates, and cups from dinner without those annoying big items that clutter the counter til the next day
- to go somewhere without a stroller, a diaper bag, a huge purse, or carseat
- to cook one meal that everyone in the house will eat (and finish) without complaint
- someone else to take pictures of the kids (because kids never listen to a mom holding a camera)
- make up that doesn’t wear off by the end of the day
- a change of scenery
- a nap
- a break!
Curious what other people are saying? I started a discussion in the Savvy Living BlogFrog community about this same topic!
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I need all of these things and a beach!!
I would absolutely love to have a meal that everyone ate and no one complained. With 5 kids, everyone’s got an opinion, and they all feel the need to share it, even if we’ve heard it before.
I’ve taken to telling the kids that we’ve done our job by cooking the meal, and now it’s their job to eat it.
A decent night’s sleep… that’s all I need really. And sadly… I can count on one hand how many times that has happened in the last 4 years. SIGH.
Awesome post!
I too am wanting to be able to sleep and wake up after enough sleep. This has certainly been lacking since the arrival of the kids.
Coffee. I need coffee. Preferably HOT, which it never seems to be, no matter how early I get up so I can drink it in peace.
I need to be able to sleep longer than 2-3 hours at a time. The baby stage can be a killer.
I love this list – you’ve hit all the big points. Thanks so much for sharing!
Oh my goodness, the making one meal that everyone will eat & finish is music to my ears. Oh, and can magically be cleaned up, put away. Poof. Perfect. Fun post.
I LOVE this post! Enjoy your continued break.