Knowing when to fold 'em.

At last check, the Queen Mother was at the doctor's office having been just released from the hospital. She's still ill, but on the mend. I pray she mends quickly. Very quickly. She has grands who need her to feel good at Thanksgiving. She is Grammy, after all. She isn't allowed to lounge about. There are rousing games of Goldfish & Dominoes to play, books to read, blocks to build, baby dolls to love, and movies to watch.

Kork said something interesting in my comments a few posts back. "that sounds so much more fun than my weekend was...mine was "accomplishing lots of things" - which feels good when done, but in the doing always makes me feel like I've missed out on something more exciting...sigh..." I hadn't really thought of it that way, but it gave me a wonderful perspective for this weekend. We had another nice weekend weather-wise, so I spent a good portion of it out of doors with Husband & the FarmHands.

These opportunities aren't going to last long & I need to grasp them when I can. In a few years my babies will hit the "Oh, Muh-ther" stage of development where everything I say & do will cause mountains of embarrassment to be heaped upon their bony little adolescent shoulders. There will be dances & movies & friends & ballgames all much more important than Family Movie Night and a day spent traipsing through the woods with Mama & Daddy. They'll develop relationships apart from our little cloister & their interests will evolve. As one author put it, I know we're looking at the days of Get Out of My Life, But First Could You Drive Me & Cheryl to the Mall?

Until that time gets here, I plan on letting my house go. OK, not completely, but I do need to stop worrying over the state of my dishes when the sun is shining & my boys are shouting, "Mommy! There's a squirrel in the tree!! Come look at it! It's barking!" (and yes, my children speak in exclamations all day long). I need to remember that I can fold the towels after I tuck them in at night & spend their waking hours coloring Spider-Man pictures, playing Simon Says, and dancing around the house to Taylor Swift songs belted out by my daughter.

Someday I will be an empty-nester & my house can look like the cover of Better Homes & Gardens. Until then, I'll deal with slightly sticky kitchen floors & muddy footprints near the back door.