I am 5 days into my experiment with 'choosing happiness'. I am convinced that I can control my happiness through conscious choices each day & moment & this is my experiment this year.
Yesterday was a doozy. Scoobs preschool was not in session & somehow I had missed the memo. I was planning on that time on my computer while the lady was napping. Instead I had a crying 3-year-old who needed my whole attention. I decided to succumb...even if it wasn't totally happy, in fact, I totally missed a few opportunities there & cried on the phone to Scot instead. Then my sister needed to drop her 4 kids off after naps. I was happy to have them, but you all know that adds some chaos to the dinner mix. I ordered pizzas. Then Scot called & was going to be working late. I was on my own for bedtime.
And I had a choice what I was going to do with it.
When this has happened in the past, I have completely skipped bedtime routines. Baths? Maybe. PJ's? for sure. Stories? Not a chance.
Last night I decided to keep the bedtime routines to a 't'. I made the choice to follow through because a lot of those things are important to me in the big picture & I decided I could muscle through it last night...even though I was tired & had a mountain of things to do on the other side of bedtime {which I will inform you didn't get done}.
So we bathed. We blow-dryed {yes! her hair needs blow drying!}. We pj'ed. We storied. And we rocked. Even on a good night the lady doesn't 'usually' get rocked. But I kind of wanted the breather & Scoobs had a little picking up to do before our story time was to begin. So I sat & I rocked.
And I felt the love. It was a moment. A moment when I realized how quickly time is passing me by when I saw her legs stretching over the arm of the rocker adorned with her painted toenails. I wanted to die & never leave that moment right then and there
And while I was singing to her, Scoobs sauntered in, sat on the ottoman & joined in loving on his sister. He picked a few songs & gave her lots of hugs & kisses & that is when I about melted & decided this IS happiness. It is the intangibles that don't show up on a stat sheet. It isn't an awesome 4 hour nap that our toddler took, or a new shirt we found at a killer price {although some days it is!}, it is the moments when I am with my kids & all our spirits are aligned & we can just be.
Note to self: Bedtime routines rock! Choose that.
this post stayed with me all day yesterday after I read it. dad has not been present for bedtime all week and that is usually when I'm at the end of my rope. I hung on a little longer and found the patience necessary to get through bedtime thinking of your post... thank you.
ReplyDeleteI find the idea of choosing happiness to be very compelling. Thank you for opening my eyes. Happy to have found my way here!
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