Friday, June 17, 2011

it's time

i strive for structure. i love schedules. i have a way of doing things.

usually (during the week) this involves: getting up, going to work, getting home from work, feeding the girls, bathing the girls, getting things ready for the next day, playtime, bedtime.

most days, all of the above is completed by 6:30 (minus bedtime) and i sit back & sigh.
yes- there may have been some tantrums & screaming but at least everything is how it should be & i'm on time.

go me.

but lately i've come to the realization that my schedule isn't do or die. for example:
i got home yesterday & the girls were in their swimsuits. but the swimsuits were dry.

KB (our nanny) informed me that the plan was to spend the afternoon swimming- but alex had slept until 4 & they hadn't gotten a chance. so they were ready to go out now.

ok, cool! wait...what?!

swimming @ 4:30 was NOT on the schedule. 4:30 is dinner time!

i stood there (rather stupidly) with my mind racing.
"it's 4:30 now. then 5:15, 5:47, 6:10....AHHHH!"

then alex started in- "outside? outside? MAMMA! OUT!"

i stared at her for a minute & then i'm pretty sure i felt something break inside my brain. like legit- snap. tis' broken. has ceased to work. is no more.

and all of sudden i realized that it's 4:30. it's sunny. it's warm. there's a pool outside. there is a very eager little girl looking at me. there is another little girl crapping her diaper.

there is also no law that says we can't go outside for an hour. or 2 hours. or whatever.

so i grabbed my camera, my phone, some towels & my children & we headed outside.

now i'm not saying that schedules & structure are a bad thing. they're actually pretty kick ass & almost required for every day life.
i'm not going to suggest you start waltzing into work @ 10am, because i'm pretty sure your boss will be like, "eff you & you're epiphany- work starts at 8 you hippie!"

and even if you don't work outside of the home- i'm pretty sure your kid still needs to eat in the morning, nap in the afternoon & go to bed before midnight. (kids thrive on structure- tis' a fact)

but i am suggesting that if the very thought of wavering from your daily schedule throws you into a mild panic & you're so irked by the slightest change in your routine that you wouldn't even stop to pet a puppy, then maybe you should consider trying to break something in your brain.

relax. enjoy. go with the flow.

stay in bed for an extra 10 minutes. brake for a coffee. go to Target on your lunch break (on second thought, the magical world of Target makes time disappear & your cashflow seem endless, so you might want to avoid this suggestion). stop at a yard sale on your way home. go to the park at 5:45. eat ice cream for dinner at 7.

it's all good. like a can of Coke or a Toblerone Snickers.

and to prove to you that i'm not making yesterday's revelation up- bam:

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"i am insane for the pool!"

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"mamma, read puss!" (that means octopus)

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should i have stopped her? cause i didn't.

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crocs. darling on children- side eye worthy on grown men.

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"oh hai"

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she's trying to wink. i kid you not.

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see? it happened. and i survived. and i still got to work on time this morning. hallelujah.


weekend news:
we are headed to the Roger William's Zoo on Sunday (fathers get in free) and i'm stoked for a stop @ Rita's on the way home (i will OD on a Geladi. this i promise you).

Monday is a gtg (get together) in Boston with dear, dear friends (who i met online- go figure. see, not everyone on the interweb is a creeper) & their bebes. i'm totes excited out of my head.

have a wonderful father's day weekend!
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12 comments:

Desi said...

So funny, I am the same way about schedule. I get anxiety if something doesn't go as planned. On a side note, liv has the same swimsuit as alex and had the same suit as brynn last year....I think its safe to say we share the same taste in toddler attire!

Holly said...

Is Brynn in a seersucker swimsuit? Too cute.

Carol said...

I totally get the need for a schedule, good for you for making an exception and steping into the wild world of spontaneaity! Looks like everyone had a great time...and survived! You just might get addicted to it.

Have a great weekend, T!

Ryan V. said...

Hey, exceptions to the schedule are totally fine-especially if it involves letting your kids do something they really want to do! That makes you a great mama. Love their little swim suits!

Sarah-Anne said...

you wrote this post for me, friend!! i'm so strict on myself about schedules and such, so thanks for writing this! :)

Open Roads Mama said...

I had a laugh when I was reading your post, the timing is just too funny - I just put my little guy down for his nap, about 2 hours late (he usually takes a nap arund 1pm and it's now almost 3), because he had an awesome time playing outside with the water table and little boats and spoons and... the sun was shining, he was so happy and laughing. I was telling myself the same thing you were - so what that he goes for a nap a little late, breaking a schedule here and there isn't a big deal at all!!! :)
Btw, love your blog! Great photos, as always! Have a lovely weekend!

Unknown said...

I was dead at "eff you & you're epiphany- work starts at 8 you hippie!"

Glad you had a good time!

Caitie said...

Roger William's Zoo in RI?! That's my neck of the woods. I love that zoo. I'm just sad the polar bears are gone ... unless this the year their new exhibit opens up!

Kate said...

is that a tent set up out in your yard? for the bebes to play & hang out in the shade and away from mosquitoes, ticks, etc.?
if so.. genius!

Diana Stone said...

I *needed* this post. Really. I have been SUCH a stickler to our schedule, and with Sam home it's like, "Wait, everything has to be the same!" Only, it's not. And it's hard to let go and accept some changes. And by some I mean very tiny ones that still send me into a mini coma.

And as always, gorgeous pics.

M said...

Brynn hair is fabulous.

Unknown said...

Here's to breaking schedules and enjoying whatever life throws at you. And beautiful photos, of course!!