It’s the ever-popular storyline – mom has plans, baby has alternate plans. Baby wins. And it used to really get to me.
I woke up this morning just after 5am to prepare for a Veteran’s Day 5K I was going to run. My alarm, albeit as silent as you can get it, doesn’t just wake me up in the morning. And when Baby Dude wakes, drunkily stumbling for me, it’s boob time, plain and simple. And unfortunately, quite a lengthy one usually, too.
I sat there, mentally preparing. I had everything picked out ready to go. I could smell the coffee brewing. But he slurped away as I sat there, fumbling between semi-consciousness and running preparedness. Suddenly he popped off, slumped over, and it was 5:50am and registration began in 10 minutes. I wouldn’t make it.
I didn’t get upset, though. My husband pointed out to me that I already run my own 5K’s by myself, and I could run it later in the morning. And I did.
It’s situations like this, where doing something for myself gets interrupted by the little people, that I’m learning how to cope much better than I used to. I roll with the parental punches now-a-days, letting them come at me, seemingly unscathed by them. Every day I grow stronger and stronger. Maybe it’s all my running – I’m not just strengthening my body, but my mind as well? I continually keep in mind that they’re only this little once {sigh}, and I don’t want to be remembered for coming unraveled at each and every crisis or hiccup.
I want to SHOW them how to handle pressure, not just TELL them. Lead by example, if you will.
I recall being quite level-headed working in management before my life as a mother. I aspire for that same focus and ability-to-cope from back then. I’m striving for it, and so far, in my quest to do better, I am succeeding.
What are you quietly working on improving for yourself right now?
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