A lot happens in my every day life. A “normal” day can include any or all of these things…loads of laundry, picking up (multiple times), sweeping, vacuuming, changing diapers, kissing boo-boos, helping the boys work through (often loud!) disagreements, cooking, studying, and so much more. I often find myself getting overwhelmed. I find myself just wanting a few moments of quiet to work uninterrupted on anything. I’d like to be able to go at least ten minutes after a meal without hearing “What are you making at dinner?”
By the time Tim gets home, often in the middle of dinner preparations, I find myself just wanting to be done…with everything. I want to sit down and tell him about everything in my day. But words can’t capture the mental weariness that comes from being a mom of two little boys.
And slowly…very slowly…I’m learning to let go of my day before Tim gets home. I don’t want the first words out of my mouth when he walks in the door to be ones of self-pity and complaint. I want to be able to greet him with love and respect and a home that is (for the most part) in order.
I’ve realized the importance of my boys having an afternoon quiet time around 3:15. They can either play quietly, read books, or take a nap. And I use that time to relax and let go of everything that happened during the day. I do different things during this time…drink a cup of coffee, read a book, blog surf, study, or read the Bible. The point of this time isn’t so much the activity…it’s to intentionally leave the day behind, spend some uninterrupted time on an activity before beginning dinner at 4:00.
Now don’t get me wrong…Tim and I do talk about our days. I enjoy hearing how his work day went, and I enjoy sharing my day with him as well. And, if I had some major attitude problems with one of the boys it is something that Tim needs to be aware of so he can help me deal with the issue.
However, I’ve found that if I take some intentional time during my boys’ quiet time to purposefully quiet my heart and mind I find I’m able to be a better wife and mom. If the day was a frustrating one, this time allows me to let go of the bad moments and refocus on the good moments.
And then I’m able to joyfully greet Tim and finish getting dinner on the table with a loving heart.
~ Carrie ~
Missed hearing from you, Carrie
– hope all is well with you. This post is so right. Now I just need to put it into practice 
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Oh to be able to do this! I have six kids, five still at home. We dairy farm on 200 acres, homeschool the youngest two and I’m taking some online classes. Try getting asked “what’s for dinner” times SIX … makes me not wanna cook … lol
One day at a time!
good post! very true. I usually force the kids to have a 30 minute rest time upstairs (many times they fall asleep). I set the timer and take a nap on the couch. This helps me tremendously for the evening shift of dinner, cleanup and husband.