Ugh... Illness and Balance?

I've half written a bunch of posts over the last week or so, but none have felt ready to publish.

Munchkins had strep throat, fevers, and all the fun that having sick kids entails. Pretty much, we spent a week on the couch with Disney Junior playing 23/7. I ordered Dominos Pizza just to see another human when I reached a point of desperation. [The pizza was poor, but the custom-made mac & cheese pasta was super yummy!]

I had a job thing (more on that later) too. Job's been changing lately, and change is very stressful for me.

Today this picture popped up on my FB page and it really got me thinking.

Let go of the Shoulds, and just Be?

Like "I should clean the kitchen floor", "I should be doing laundry", "I should cook balanced family dinners", and "I shouldn't do anything that takes time away from my kids."

Just BE... who? I AM... a mom who takes her kids with her to the gym so after her workout they can go rock-climbing or swimming. I AM a mom who ignores the kitchen floor so I can play Super Mario Brothers with the kids. I AM the mom that provides clean clothes, but they may still be in laundry baskets at the moment. ;-) Hey, it's clean! As for cooking, my husband is the better balanced cook! Thank goodness he does most of the grocery shopping so there are always healthy options for snacks! I AM the mom who helps with homework while attempting to cook something. I AM the mom that misses out on 2 to 3 afternoons, dinners, and bedtimes with her family each week, so she can go to work at the hospital, taking care of YOUR family and friends. Which I do, with LOVE and COMPASSION, as if they were my own. Until midnight... and then I AM mom again, tucking in sheets and finding lost rabbits.

I Should get up in 7 hours and make a lovely well balanced breakfast that my kids would probably refuse to eat.

Or... I WILL make the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with frosting that they LOVE, devour, inhale... Maybe they'll even leave one left for me. :-)

And once I've sent them off to school [on a sugar high], I'll Consider the kitchen floor. Consider the dishes. Consider the remaining laundry.

And I'll GO for a run! And GO on the bike! And GO for a swim!

I know who I AM, and I'll be even BETTER when I get back.