What I Know About: Finding The Balance

There are so many things that I really need to do in 2011, but as I sat in bed late in the morning on 1/1/11  with pen and paper in hand ready to write down all of those things that I MUST accomplish this year,  the only thing that I could focus clearly on was my family.

I had just picked up “the llama” from her first new years eve out with friends. She is really growing up. Christmas 2011 will be her last one here at home.  Her sister is still pretty young, but she was passed out there next to me and I couldn’t  help but notice how tall she is getting, she will be 16 too before I know it.

This is the first Christmas that I didn’t work through the whole thing. I was home for about eight days of their two weeks off. I cleaned, cooked, played and talked, and it was great. At one moment on Christmas day I was in the kitchen taking something out of the oven when I looked over and saw a bunch of kids in the living room ( 19, 17, 16 and 8 ) playing the new Just Dance 2 game, dancing, bumping into each other and laughing so hard they were falling on the floor. I couldn’t help but laugh, I think that is what pure parental joy feels like.

I liked that feeling, I want more.  I resolve this year to spend more time with my family.

They know I work hard, I have driven home that lesson. I will wait til after bedtime to pull out the laptop, and not check the crackberry everytime it blinks and buzzes.

I have used so little vacation time, I am  in jeopardy of loosing some of it if I don’t use it. so I am going to dip into my four weeks of accrued vacation time this year to do simple things like go on school field trips, and hang out with them while they are on spring break. I think I’ve been on one school field trip in my entire 16 years of being a parent.

In 2011 I will find the balance.

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