Miracle Happen/Quality Time

Yesterday I spoke of an incident with my computer and how Word crashed as I tried to save my post I intended to do. Well, I turned on my computer this morning and when I opened word… There it was! My post! I didn’t have to retype anything! Don’t know what happened but there’s no doubt in my mind it was a small miracle from my Heavenly Father telling me, “You’re not alone. I’m aware of you and your needs, wants and desires and I am here. I watch out for you even when you forget that I am.”

I wonder why I didn’t think to pray when it happened yesterday. That’s one of those things I would have prayed for when I was on my mission or when I was a kid, and I guess I’ve forgotten how to pray for everything and how to have that full faith I once did. I’m working on it, and I know my faith is deepening again, but I still have a very long way to go.

We are NOT alone, and if God knows, watches and love the sparrow, how much more does he know, watch and love you?

I really need to remember this.

All that said, here is my initially intended post from yesterday. Though the stuff above is probably just as (if not more) important in the long run. So much for all of you today! God bless, and enjoy!

Quality time with the kids and hubby can be hard to come by at times, even though I’m a stay at home mom. Just because I’m home all day doesn’t mean I have a lot of time. The house needs to be cleaned, dishes need to be done, laundry must be washed and meals don’t cook themselves. While yes, things can be left undone and prayer and scriptures are a must, (see my post: Just One Of Those Days) the fact is things do need to be done eventually. And my personality does not do well unless I can at least most of the time keep up with things as they need doing.

This morning was a particularly trying morning as far as whining, arguing, fighting kids goes. But thankfully, I remembered to do family prayer and scriptures first thing. While it hasn’t helped my children in any magnificent way, it has at least helped me be more patient and remember that my littles have sensitive needs and to be more gentle and calm with them. That has made the difference.

Typically, we wake up bright and early my kids wake up at the butt crack of dawn and I drag myself out of bed and we go downstairs to watch some Disney Jr. Yes, this TV time is sadly essential for my children’s wellbeing as I am simply not the morning person I used to be. I know my limits and starting the day with a get-up-and-go attitude is nowhere in the cards, at least for another for another 6 years… minimum. So we watch some clean TV in the mornings while Mom’s eyes adjust to being open.

Our days start off with good intentions but always (sadly, within the first 30 minutes of being up) take a turn for the worse when one of the kiddos hits, punches, screams, fights or pushes one of their siblings. (HOLY COW kids! Can’t we all just get along?! Seriously!!!) And then I clean while they play and the day always just slips away a little at a time til Daddy is home, then we need to eat, bathe and prep for bed. Bedtime always take an eternity with a little child and when I have four kids under the age of 7 it takes two eternities. So quality time with kiddos seems a far cry from the norm.

Then I turn on Pinterest while my kids are down for quiet time, and I see all these ideas for quality time with the kids and I think… Wow, I’m horrible! I should be doing all these things with my kids! But time simply does not exist all the time to do it all!

Ask yourself this though: How many things have you pinned, re-pinned or liked on Pinterest that you have actually done? I rest my case. So I stopped beating myself up over it. They are there for good ideas and a quiet mommy moment to look and be inspired by. The end.

So my takeaway from all of this?

Do what you can! Take a moment to think before you shoe your child from the kitchen while doing the dishes. Grab the spray nozzle from the sink and have an impromptu water fight! The floor need to be mopped anyway. (I think I’ll do that this week.) Grab the duct tape and put some on your carpet for a fun game! (We did that this morning for a bit and it was so much fun! Picture and our rules found in this post from yesterday.) Take the moment running between rooms to change the laundry and tackle your little boy with a mini wrestle/tickle session closed with millions of kisses and the wonderful phrase, “Mom! STOP KISSING ME!”

I’ve come to the conclusion that quality and quantity do not EVER mean the same thing. Quality time is simply undivided attention for however short that moment might be. We don’t have to plan it out. It doesn’t have to be a long drawn out event. Just do it throughout the day in the moments between the chaos.