House of Candy Cards

I’m trying not to say, “I don’t have time for that.”  It’s not that I don’t have time for things, it’s that I, like everyone, have a limited amount of time for everything.  So I’m prioritizing.  Reading to all the kids before naps and bedtime is a priority.  Sitting at the table together for dinner is a priority.  Me getting dressed before breakfast is a priority.  Kids being dressed on a rainy non-school day is negotiable. 

In college, one of my classmates was adamant that every to-do list should include every single thing you have to do during the day, like taking a shower or eating lunch.  She had heard that no matter how many things you put on a to-do list, on average people will complete 80% of the list.  So the more items on the list, the more you accomplish. 

I finally realized that my to-do lists need to have everything I actually need to do during the day, not just what would be nice to complete at some point.  I need to be able to cross things off my list.  So instead of filling a list with dust ceiling fans, bake Mexican chocolate cookies, sort through the brazillian pictures on our computer, I now have the sense to fill my list with the things that actually need to be completed, for real.  Now all my lists start with Kids Dressed, Kids Teeth Brushed, Feed Holly (five times), Unload/Reload Dishwasher.  Then I can add Replant Herbs or Put Away Winter Clothes to the list.  Morale has improved.

I always see people post pictures of their babies with what I call “the month stickers” on, smiling babies propped up on crisp blankets in the bright sunlight.  So much subtle (?) pressure to capture picture perfect moments!  A friend gave us a pack of stickers when Holly was born and here’s how that’s going for us:

1 Month was also Tate’s birthday.  Look how tiny she was!  We barely ever saw those tiny, skinny legs; they were all wrapped up for December and January in footed onesies and double swaddles.

2 Months was taken during the post dinner, pre bedtime window. 

All I know about 3 Months is that Tate is in his pjs for bedtime and Holly is for whatever reason still awake and in clothes.  It’s not that I don’t have time to stage a major photo shoot (and by that I mean dress her in a plain onesie and take some pictures by a window),  it’s just that it never makes it to the top of the list.  All day I’ll think in a few minutes I’ll get the picture, then all of a sudden it’s the end of the day.

No regrets.  It’s capturing our real life.