Summertime Blues

Being a teacher, I look forward to my summer break. I always have lofty plans of all of the organizing and house cleaning that I can get done, in addition to catching up on my reading and relaxing by the pool. Being a Mom seems to change all that. I often find myself starting projects that never seem to get finished because I have to break up a fight, fix lunch, make smoothies, go to the pool, wash clothes, etc... There's always the temptation to spend hours on Facebook and Pinterest as well. It's enough to cause a case of the summer time blues. But, then I stop and remember that before I know it, they will be all grown and I am so fortunate to be able to spend this time with them. The housework and projects will always be there, but my children will not. When I ponder that point, I realize that I am not blue at all, just green with envy at the Mom's who can stay so organized and have such clean homes! My attempts at organization just seem to add more clutter. Before I know it, the school year will begin again and another summer with my kiddos will be gone, but the happy memories will last forever.

Refreshing

I was trying to find a word to describe how I feel about this time of the year. Refreshing was the word that came to mind. It seems that October through March is the busiest time of our year with school, activities, holidays, etc... When the winds of spring blow in, I feel a burst of refreshing happiness. The flowers blooming, wind blowing, birds chirping.
As I begin organizing and cleaning out areas of my home, I also have a spiritual sense of refreshment that comes from "cleaning out the cobwebs". Uncovering all those things from the past that have piled up and need to be cleaned out, stored away or discarded. As my home becomes less cluttered and organized, so does my spirit. I am not constantly "busy" doing those things that are mundane and have more time to do the things that are meaningful.

Resolutions

I like to take time to journal my New Year resolutions. It's already January 7th and I've yet to write them down. I'm trying to take life a little slower these days and not "obsess" about all the things that need to be done. If 2011 taught me anything it was that I need to enjoy every moment with those that I love. My house continues to need organizing, the dishes always need to be done and the floors always need to be mopped. However, my little boy won't stay little for too much longer. So, I'm making a resolution to not stress out about all the things that really don't matter and focus on the things that do. I resolve to be a better human being, care more about the people around me and to grow in love and awe of all the wonderful gifts that God gives me each day.