Walking the Tight Rope

Part of life as a mama is a balancing act. Working a forty hour work week with occasional overtime on the weekend can be challenging. Then, trying to find the time to show your kids the attention that they need and deserve. While also finding the time to do the laundry, to wash the dishes, to straighten up the house, To sweep and mop the floor, to clean up the kid’s toys from the week. Most of the weekend is reserved for this, the housework. The weekend is also the time that I get to spend the most time with my kids. It can be a real struggle to balance quality time, house cleaning time, and church time. All aspects of life that need attention. It’s important to know when you have spent enough time cleaning. My signal is always when my little says. “Mama. Play wiff me.”  It’s that moment that I realize that I have given too much attention to cleaning and laundry and not enough to them. What do I do. I stop what I am doing, and play wiff him. The dishes will still be there, the laundry will still be there and the toilet will still be dirty. When they get big, they won’t remember the dirty dishes, or the dirty laundry or the toys scattered about the house. They WILL remember the time spent playing with dinosaurs, drawing with chalk, making shadow puppets on the wall. They will remember the map and their adventure searching for buried treasure. These things they won’t forget. And I won’t forget the smiles, The laughs, the giggles, the hugs and the kisses.

Sometimes I feel bad for my husband. It seems like once we started having kids the attention that he used to always get is now reserved for them. Cuddles at night are now a hand hold as we have one little laying and sleeping between us. The kisses are less frequent. But the “I love you. Be careful.” Before leaving for work or when going out to grab a quick item from the Dollar Store is always there. While we physically are at arms length with the Littles in between, we are never that far apart. And we continue to grow together while at arms length.

So while juggling and trying to balance life can be hard. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The sleepless nights, the out of shape body post c section, the dirty house. One day those things will all change. One day I will miss it. But for now I will balance the tight rope. And enjoy every minute of it.