My typical day is chaotic. From the time my 15 month old son wakes up at the ass-crack of dawn (5:30AM) to the moment that I binge watch Game of Thrones for a solid episode and a half before retiring to bed.
My typical week consists of working 8-5 MWF, shooting weddings Saturdays, sometimes shooting on Sundays, and editing photos all the time I have free in-between. On top of that, I write for this bad ass blog (I might be biased,) clean, grocery shop, do laundry, yard work, and chase my VERY active toddler around. Somehow, I’ve only had one late bill since having my son, and I haven’t caught anything on fire or forgotten to lock the door.
Today is my day “off” from my regular job. However, days with my toddler are infinitely more exhausting (even though better and more rewarding, definitely more exhausting.) This morning we went through the motions of a typical morning, and then after Dad left for work, Lucas and I packed up and went to the grocery store.
I take my son a lot of places by myself, but it’s no less daunting each time. I never know how the trip will go; thankfully, today was an easy trip.
After getting home, I contained my tiny human in the living room. He was instantly like “WTF Mom, I want to play,” and proceeded to growl at me. I quickly started unloading groceries in turbo-speed from my detached garage. I would quite literally rather dislocate both of my arms with grocery bags than have to take two trips into the house, but today was a two-tripper. This means I’m usually carrying at least 10 bags at a time, up the steps of my porch, inside, and stepping over baby gates with all of said bags.
Today I dropped them.
No big deal, until I heard all the glass break and fluid came flying out and proceeded to flood my freshly cleaned kitchen. (Of all the things, it HAD to be the Kosher pickles. WHY GOD couldn’t it have been something I don’t give a shit about, like the soup my husband eats but that I insist isn’t real food.)
So, then commenced my mom meltdown. Groceries to put away, and a toddler that is P.O.ed and needs a diaper change and a snack before he goes in to full-on apocalyptic meltdown.
But today I’m thankful for my spilled pickles (which I carefully picked out of broken glass, washed off, and put into Tupperware.) Those spilled pickles gave me an epiphany that I think I’ve needed for some time. The epiphany to slow down. Just to slow myself down.
I rush so much, and feel obligated to do so much for so many. I love being busy, mostly. But some days, I just need to stop. I need to take four trips in with the groceries, and entertain my toddler in-between. I need to take a nap. Drink a cup of tea. Read a chapter of a book.
When did I stop doing all of those things?
We’ve said it before: you can’t serve from an empty cup. Sometimes we all need the reminder that life is going to go on, and that the groceries can wait.
-Katie
Perfectly Imperfect Parenting 