We're moving

We've found an amazing new home with a lot more square footage than the home we are in now.  So we begin the process of moving our lives, that we have routinely led, to start a new beginning.

Yikes!!  I think their must be another group of children who moved in while I wasn't looking and left stuff in our home!!  How did this get here?

I forgot how many items we have retained in our small space but when packing...it felt like I was climbing a steep hill with ice shoes on my feet! I never felt any relaxation and could not see the top.  All I saw were boxes, tape, scissors, markers, and stickers!

I didn't consider how or when to begin packing.  I just thought my fairy godperson would show up and BIPITY BOPITY BOO...IT WOULD BE DONE.   Our last move, we hired movers.  This time, I don't know why we decided not to go that route this time but instead we chose to do this ourselves.

Breathe...ok....I got this. 
Headcount: We are packing for 7 people, and a dog (who also has three boxes of her own with toys and clothes)!
Question of the day: How can I make this work without having a full anxiety attack?

While living in our current home, we had to be creative with our storage. So when we began retrieving these items to pack them to carry to our new home, it was like going on a treasure hunt.  hmmmm.....treasure hunt.... I just figured out how to make it fun in order to persuade our children (ages 8-13) to assist with packing.  Every time they "find" a piece of "gold" (oh...our definition of "gold" is an item they have not worn, used, touched or seen in months because it was BURIED) has to be donated. The prize: they could earn an hour of an activity, once we moved and unpacked.  Each item in their treasure boxes we called gold nuggets.  Whoever has the most "gold" wins.  ((I'm a little sneaky but they are HIGHLY competitive))

Our youngest girl was definitely not falling for it.  She is a hoarder with OCD.  How does that work? Well, she wants to keep EVERYTHING she has and label a container for storage but nothing can be given away.  So this game was created ideally to keep her involved and me a little stress-free. At first, she was very reluctant on putting "her babies up for adoption".  But once she saw how her brothers were quickly filling their "Treasure chest" boxes, she jumped on board and became the best "treasure hunter" in the house.

She also taught me a HUGE lesson of mind over matter.  I struggle a lot with giving away the dresses that "I'm gonna wear that" or "the next big event..I'm definitely wearing that one".  Umm....yeah, I'm a highly functioning introvert who loves to be invited to parties but would rather read a book with my favorite pj's on.  So I had to also task myself with finding gold.  Gifting items that were still boxed up under the stairs.  Saying no to the appliances I don't really want but holding on to them because "so and so" gave it to me.  Nope! It all had to go.

There's a lot of mini-messages we need to learn about ourselves when packing and purging.  We are learning about what we need vs what we hold on to.  Holding on to items can just hold space in our hidden spaces in our heads, hearts, and minds.  Letting go is LIBERATING!

I challenge you to find your "gold" pieces!

Not just for kids anymore

As a child, punishment came after I did something my parents told me not to do and always came with a lecture.  I hated being punished.  Now as a parent, punishment has taken a new angle.  I find myself longing for a moment that someone tells me to "GO TO MY ROOM AND DON'T COME OUT UNTIL YOU GET YOURSELF TOGETHER!"

Running around for and with the family emphasize how quickly the hands move on the clock.  There aren't enough hours in the day!  How can I show up for all the school board meetings, attend all the children's sports events, create amazing vegetarian/vegan meals, read all the books that will push me further in my career and still have time/energy to attend the required work meetings? When I noticed my day, seemed to have fewer hours than those of my friends/sister girls, I wanted to (and I actually think I did) scream!

Turns out, those 24 hours are divided into sections called AD-ULT-ING.  Ugh.....who signed me up for that and how can I decline.  Why did my 24 hours feel like 10 minutes?  I need to re-evaluate my life.  Re-prioritize.  Re-do. RE-something but it needed to be quick and it needed to start yesterday.

I text my husband and told him I was putting myself in time out for the day.  I needed time to "get myself together".  Of course, he laughed at me but he knew that I needed some time alone.  He heard my bad behavior aka road rage, he saw my temper tantrum and tried walking away from me while I wailed around on the floor like an uncensored 2-year-old who wanted candy aka coffee.  I think he needed my time out as much as I did but he appreciated my self-reflection and purpose.  

So here I find myself....by myself....at the closest lake during an amazingly beautiful day.  I went to one of my favorite locations to just think, walk, pray, breathe and re-focus.  An Adult Time Out!!  and it was so much better than I remembered.  Who knew being alone could be appreciated and absorbed like coconut oil on my melanin skin?  Who knew being an adult, and putting yourself in "time out" was a thing and why didn't anyone tell me?  Timeouts were intended to stop the behavior and give time to think. Well......we, as parents/adults need to put ourselves in timeout to do just that. 

While this is not always do-able for a family, especially one as large as mine, it was now required.  I would always hear my mother say, " you can't fill from an empty cup".  As a child and most of my adult life, I had NO CLUE what that meant.  Just chalked it up as something mothers say to their children.  "Generational nuggets".  Well, I finally get it.  My cup was empty.  I had nothing left to give.  As a parent, wife, sister, daughter, friend.......I forgot to think about me.  

My advice to EVERYONE.....find a moment to yourself.  Even if you have to lock YOURSELF in the bathroom and open the window to feel the breeze.  Take 20 seconds to re-evaluate, re-do, or replenish.  And NEVER deny yourself a great cup of coffee...