Grateful

Slice of Life: Day 11

Today was one of those rare days where I was in one place and my husband and kids were in another.  I was an hour north at a baby shower and he and the kids were an hour south at a family birthday party.  After the shower I went home, which left me a few hours before the rest of the family would return.

First, I walk in and disaster had struck.  Not one, but two tornadoes definitely hit the house!  Dishes piled up in the sink, remnants of lunch still on the counter, toys strewn about the family room, lights left on upstairs…

Now when I left both children were asleep and then they were leaving when the kids woke up, so what went wrong?!  So much for coming home to a clean house…  straighten, pick up, put away, clean, sort.  All in its place in 20 minutes tops!  What was so difficult about that?!  Granted there were no kids, but still not that difficult!  Then quiet.

Time for lesson plans and grading papers.  Free from distractions, no interruptions and it is not 8 o’clock at night!  I was focused, intentional, organized.  It felt good to be ahead and not behind.  But, something felt off…  I missed the distraction of my son wanting to show me something, I missed being interrupted by my little girl wanting to be held…  I missed having my family around and having the house abuzz.  It’s funny how you wish for the quiet and time to yourself, but then you miss them when they are not around.  I am grateful for the quiet and time to myself and grateful for the loving family that will return shortly and bring with them the disaster and tornado that is my life!