Thursday, December 11, 2008

Tips on controlling time?


If anyone has any tips on manipulating time, I am ready:

-how to slow down overall weeks, months, years. (How did I get to be 30, have four kids, have children that are 6, 5, and 3 that I remember how they used to look in there 0-3 month clothes).
-how to speed up individual, rough days. (A day last week took so long. Fighting, whining, snatching, talking back, not wanting to do school work. It seemed like four days in one.)
-how to get back missed time. (Last blog was pre-baby, beginning of October. How is it December? How is it that I have a two month old that I haven't written about, posted pictures of, or introduced to the world? How is it that I have yet to check my friends' blogs and catch up on their lives that I love to read about? Where did that time go?)
-when did time change. (When I was ten, the summer seemed to go on forever and there was never anything to do. Now the summer flies and I have too much to do)
-when did time become impossible to keep? (I never noticed before that my mom got us to church, school, and parties on time. Now, I can't do it for the life of me. My kids don't understand the concept of "late", because "late" is normal and does not get any reaction of moving faster)
-when did time become important. (Babies don't care what time it is when they are hungry. You are driving? So. Need to go to the bathroom? Big deal. Time to make dinner for the other kids? Babies don't care if it is 5:00pm or am. There is no such thing as certain times for certain things. However, suddenly at 3 years old, if you don't get that dinner at 5:00, all hades has broken loose.
-When did time stop coming in chunks of breaks? Before there was summer break time, Christmas vacation time, spring break. Now, all the "break" times seem the busiest and more to do. Pack for vacation, find the most perfect, yet inexpensive Christmas gifts, find things for the kids to do in the summer, clean the house from top to bottom because someone is coming to visit and give you a break.
-And lastly, when will I learn to prioritize my time? I say I need a break from holding Colby, or can't coo at him just yet cause we need to finish our school project. Hello, Jessica? Can't coo at the baby? You know that one will not last much longer. Look at Alexis and Daisy- they are reading for goodness sakes. Ben went pee on the toilet today without any cajoling or threatening. When did all that happen? Who cares that there are 6 loads of laundry waiting to be folded? Who cares that we haven't had a real home cooked meal in a week? Who cares that the check off board of work is still all unchecked? These are rhetorical questions. If you really DO care, I don't want to know about it- So, make those cookies with frosting that make a big flour mess, play that board game that never ends, call that grandma that talks for an hour
(this is an example- I'm not talking about any one specifically:), drive that half hour to visit your husband for lunch, and stay up till 3:40am to write about nothing in particular. Because it wasn't on a list to do, it wasn't something that needed to be done, and it surely isn't something educational, helpful, or remotely important. But that is the beauty of it.
That time will be the best of all- ok, maybe time spent serving others would be a little better- but we'll save that for another blog.

4 comments:

Tiffany -- the mommy said...

If you find any answers at all please let me know!!

Lauren in GA said...

Me too...I need answers!!

This was a brilliant post. They say time flies...I just didn't know it was at the speed of light.

Anonymous said...

And so you can imagine how your MOTHER feels when she sees her daughter with her children, and wonders still how you can blink and decades go by. It gives me a better perspective of how MY mother feels.

And I did my best to "be on time" but when I had nine children one summer, and brushed a two year old's teeth (remember Mary) with toothpaste that was tacky and didn't foam up - and then realized I brushed her teeth with Desitin, I knew that it doesn't always matter that you are right on time.

You have four - all very young. For the fact that you do ALL you do, and get out and go with all the troup - you amaze me.

And...so far...you haven't brushed anyone's teeth with Desitin, have you? Somethings are more important than being on time.:)

Jannet said...

Jessica, I am so glad you "are back" I have missed your posts and comments.
I loved your mom's comment- I too admire you for all you do with the whole gang. I can't believe you were in primary today, I am still hiding from the world.
Never brushed teeth with desitin, but I did wash Andy's hair with baby lotion last week. I had to re-wash, but it left his hair very soft!
Time does go by too fast.