Never Enough Time

I will openly admit that I was more emotional than I thought I'd be about my youngest starting Kindergarten.   How is it that it's already time for my baby boy to be in school all day?  Mid-August I started seeing posts and pictures of friends' children smiling brightly and heading off to school.  That's when the emotions started to set in.  That's when I publicly admitted how I was feeling.  That's when a handful of friends and family admitted that they too were in the same situation and feeling the same emotions.  What a pleasant surprise!  Thankfully, this was not the first time that I was honest and found out that I was not alone.

I will also admit that I had big plans for what I would do with all the time I would now have. 
Yes, there would be time for routine cleaning, errands, and obligations like planning for our upcoming Scouts den meetings. But there would also be time for projects!  Yes, time for all the projects I have started but have yet to complete... the boys' school scrapbooks for last year (that I was supposed to finish over the summer), the four years I'm behind in our family photo albums, all the blog ideas I've been wanting to write about, organizing the basement storage room.

Well, my boys headed off to school smiling brightly on Tuesday, and I've had no time for all the projects.  For the first time since having children, I had entire days alone... days!  Yes, it was nice to keep busy.  But, sadly, no fun projects.  And, let's be honest, I didn't even get all the to do lists done.  But, but, but... How can all the must do errands consume the entire day?!  Let's be honest, I don't think I'm alone in wondering "Where does time go?"

Then I decided to change my perspective.  Now I don't have to take time away from my family to get the routine tasks done.  My husband didn't have to take off work to get the car fixed, and I didn't have to take the kids to sit for two long hours while the mechanic diagnosed the problem.  And, yes, I did finish the Scouts meeting planning for the whole year while I sat and waited.  But, more important, I am so thankful that now we can spend time as a family... Time doing whatever we want.
The kids worked hard learning at school and helping at home.  My husband has worked hard all week at work.  I have worked hard too.  So, this weekend, we can choose time together ... play dates, pizza and movie night, pajama day, and celebrating my oldest son's birthday. 

Tomorrow isn't promised!  So, I want today to be time well spent.  I don't want to miss making memories because I'm too focused on organizing past pictures.  But, I do want to balance time together with time for our own individual interests.  It's okay to fill your own bucket so you can fill up others.  I don't want my kids to remember a clean house but rather remember a loving home.  But, we do need to eat and wash dishes.  It's okay to ask for help.  In the end, we all make choices.  My time is what I make it.  How I choose to use my time reveals my priorities.  How I choose to do my priorities reveals my heart.  

I can change my perspective and choose my priorities... 

This is how I can make the most of my time, whatever I choose to do with it.

They say you can't turn back time.  I have to admit, I don't really want to.  I'm proud of my Big Boy heading off to Kindergarten.  I'm proud of my Little Mister who will be celebrating 8 years this weekend.  I'm proud of almost 11 years of marriage and making a home with my husband.  I just want to be the best that I can be... a child of God, wonderfully made individual with my own interests and talents, daughter and sister and auntie, loving wife and mother, friend.  If I can take care of myself and make the most of my time, then I know others in my life will get the best that I can give.

• Have you recently had an empty house?
• What are your unfinished projects?
• Have you also wondered where time goes?

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be present in your child's day

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