I have a problem. I tend to approach things too systematically at times. This might seem organized on the outside but sometimes I sacrifice spontaneity for schedule. This was thrust in front of me yesterday after church. The kids and I had to stay for a VBS meeting/lunch and by the time we got home, the kids were in desperate need for some fun. After checking movie listings and Athens Parent on-line, I found nothing was going on. Ready to throw my hands up in the air and resign myself to cleaning up the house - Baxter decided that we should throw our bathing suits on and have a good ol' fashioned water fight outside.
Well, I had blown-out my hair for church, my makeup looked really good and I am not naturally fond of getting wet. This seemed especially unappealing since I had not planned for it. Still, I donned my swimsuit and put on my sunglasses and attempted to enjoy the afternoon. I began by dutifully filling both of their pails with water balloons. (This was a task I enjoyed since it kept me inside a few minutes longer.) Once we decided to play water-balloon-toss, I was pretty happy. After all, it was highly unlikely that I would drop many of the tosses! Unfortunately, Ford made for a weak partner and we had gone through his bucket in a quick couple of minutes. Next, they got the water guns out. They had a blast! They squirted their guns, dumped buckets of water on each other and squealed and giggled with joy. All the while, I sat on the garden-seat dodging streams of water and attempting to stay dry. I looked like an annoyed cat - not much fun at all.
Why do I have such a hard time shifting gears? My kids can roll with the punches much better than I can. I'm the one who teeters between stubbornness and irrational expectations. I did have a little fun but mostly I just bided my time until I could tempt the whole crew with ice cream and draw them inside. One good thing came of it though - I knew I was being a stick-in-the-mud and admitting you have a problem is the first step towards getting help! So, the next time I find myself forced to change directions or in the midst of an activity that may not be my favorite, I will try a little harder to let go and have fun. I need to get back in touch with my silly side!!
3 comments:
Hey,
Always do the unexpected. Observe the masses and do the opposite. Your kids will thank you for this later. Their friends will tell them that you are the coolest thing that ever walked on two legs. You may even be cooler than their own parents, etc. I love to do the unexpected - you know dress the tackiest on Tacky Day, dye my hair blue, turquoise, pink, etc. for the school carnival. I love spontaneity - I guess it's the gypsy in me!
Hey, I just found your blog! I'm so excited to keep up with your daily life. I hope your doing well, and I would love to get together some time.
I love seeing a pic from your wedding. That's such a great shot. One that will make your grandchildren's grandchildren sit and wonder what their great great great grandmother Joy was like.
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