So often all we hear about are the times things go wrong. It's like we can't focus on the good, we just see the negative in our lives. An entirely good day is overshadowed by the one bad thing that happens. It could be something really simple and minor, but often we focus on that one thing. I am guilty of this, I admit that. At the end of the day I'll tell Adam about everything that happened. I'll say that the day was meh and detail everything. I'll talk about the chores I got done, the good playdate we had and then say but Kara had a tantrum at nap time. And it was that one little thing that sent my day into a downward spiral. But come on, that ONE thing? A tantrum at an expected time? She was tired, she was having fun and didn't want to stop, she's a kid, of course she's going to be upset when I say it's time for a nap!
Yesterday though- for whatever reason. I didn't let those little things make my day bad. And I got A LOT done! Let's see: I folded and put away 4 loads of laundry. Only 2 of them had already been washed, I washed 3 loads of laundry (yes, that means I have a load of laundry to fold and put away). I kept the kitchen clean even after making banana bread and dinner. I had dinner almost done when Adam got home from work and it was a healthy one! The girls were entertained all day and not with videos but here at home. The girls got their naps at appropriate times (and yes, Kara wasn't happy about having to go up for her nap). I made us a good lunch that included veggies (which Kara did eat). Unloaded, reloaded and ran the dishwasher. I even made a doctors appointment for myself, updated my computer calendar, and helped cheer up a friend (behold the power of baby laughter!). At the end of the day we played DDR as a family, I cleaned the cat litters, bathed myself and the girls and we all went to bed at a decent time.
We had our bumps along the way. Kara didn't want to take a nap, Rowan was awake during Kara's nap book reading so I wasn't able to lay with Kara like she prefers. Kara made a bit of a mess when helping with the banana bread, I had to leave some laundry unfolded, Kara fell off the bed (she's ok). A phone conversation I really wanted to have got interrupted and had to be stopped. The list of things that went wrong could have been as long as the list of things that went right. But I told myself that these things would not ruin our day. I was not going to let them get to me. And for at least one day, it worked!
Maybe sometimes it is just about a mindset. Maybe if we remind ourselves that we have done a lot, that a lot has gone right, we won't see only the negative. If we notice the good maybe we'll stop thinking the world is going to end and our lives are shitty when all that happened was a minor glitch. My mom used to tell me that I could turn an anthill into Mt. Everest. If I don't want my girls to do the same and think everything is falling to pieces at the slightest obstacle, maybe it's time for me to see the anthills as just that. An anthill to be dealt with appropriately and in its own time.
Now to see if I can keep some of this momentum going. Because today I want to do more baking, more exercise and get that last load of laundry put away.
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