bite-sized pieces?

maybe i wouldn't get so overwhelmed so quickly if i just shot for a few perfect moments each day.  you know, like reading thousands of pages per semester in college oh so many years ago--you couldn't possibly read every page, so you have to learn how to choose the ones that really matter.  well maybe you could read every page, but i couldn't. 

and here's another question.  what keeps me from having my perfect days?  is it the getting started right that matters? or getting a second wind in the middle of the day? or just finishing better? 

what are the things that really matter to you make your days go well?

day 3

Steeee-rike!

i got tired of trying. 

today:

• didn't go running. it was cold.
  
• didn't shower. put on a cute hat.
  
• fed kids yogurt and toast with butter and syrup on it. made a fruit smoothie for myself though, that was good.
  
• cleaned up kitchen, realized dishwasher hadn't been run last night
  
• realized hadn't finished laundry last night
  
• kids were ornery and it was really hard not to be mad at them. not a happy morning.
  
• put li down for nap, got on computer
  
• ignored phone calls, kitchen, and laundry, and took a book downstairs to read on the couch while lu watched tv. i know, i'm awesome.
  
• dressed kids (again, 11:00), fed them "lunch"--cheese slices, took lu to school
  
• was on the late side of on time...
  
• ran errands with li who was not happy one bit except when i gave him food...
  
• picked lu up, who was happy when next to  his teacher and crabby from the second  he got to me
  
• it was not a happy afternoon either. we got through it with more reading and more tv.
  
• made dinner with broccoli that nobody ate except for me
  
• worked on talk. had bubble bath. 
  
• created blog.
  
• still typing on blog at almost 1 am. i think this day needs to end.
  

day 2

attempt #2.  shopping day.

• didn't go running--rest day
  
• kids were cranky but i was nice anyway
  
• had family prayer before hubby left
  
• made toad-in-a-hole for breakfast, had lu help
  
• put li down for nap
  
• hung out on facebook for a while, went through pile of emails that i didn't get to while i was being fabulous on day #1, did not do any laundry
  
• showered, got dressed (note: lu is watching pbs kids during all this)
  
• played games with lu
  
• cleaned kitchen
  
• dressed kids (fully 11:00 by now), made lunch, fed kids before heading out the door
  
• went to children's library, had to keep disciplining lu for not sharing the trains
  
• accidentally made it home with a train in our bag...will have to return
  
• should have just gone home, but instead headed to the store!
  
• stocked up for thanksgiving and beyond, earned a free turkey
  
• bribed kids with junk food, granola bars and alphabet cookies to be specific
  
• took a "side trip" to the nearby craft store for decoration materials
  
• tried very hard to be nice to li who insisted on throwing everything out of the cart
  
• bribed with food again, fruit snacks this time
  
• was not nice in  car on the way  home--lu was whining. i hate whining.
  
• put li down for nap again.
  
• started laundry
  
• made dinner with lu's help. only veggie: raw carrots, which kids did not eat. we had salad too.
  
• cleaned up, put kids down.
  
• got free winter boots for li off freecycle, stopped at dollar store on way home
  
• worked on talk for upcoming sunday church meeting, read scriptures
  
• read book until fell asleep
  

observations on day 1

1. i lead a boring life. i've said it; now you don't have to.
   
2. i spent 3  h o u r s  in the car. and lu is only in preschool. and the school is less than a mile away.
3. it was really hard for me to be calm when my kids were screaming at me and/or each other.  i am pretty reactionary with their screams.
4. it wasn't a perfect day. but it was better than usual. that's something, right?
5. there are a lot of choices you have to make when trying to be perfect. was my  hair perfect? was i perfectly nice to the kids?  did i clean the house perfectly? did i prioritize perfectly? was i really more like Christ today than i was yesterday?

day 1

here's how it went down:

• got up early to go running with a friend.
  
• was home, showered, and dressed before the man left for work
  
• had family prayer together
  
• made kids hot breakfast
  
• took kids to baltimore to get flu shots
  
• was happy the whole hour in the car
  
• didn't yell at them once for picking on each other
  
• was early to appointment
  
• was only mildly annoyed at long wait
  
• played with kids while waiting instead of shush!-ing them
  
• had a donut with a dear friend
  
• drove back home to drop lu off at school
  
• was early to school
  
• went home, had lunch, put li down for nap
  
• started dinner, read a book, had a wee snooze
  
• was early to pick lu up from school
  
• made dinner for a friend that is recovering from surgery
  
• tried to pick the man up from the metro
  
• got stuck in ss traffic; he beat us home
  
• had nice healthy dinner with more than one veggie. and whole grains too
  
• helped bathe kids, put pjs on
  
• put li in bed
  
• went over to be with a friend whose security alarm went off while her hubby was gone
  
• had a nice long chat with hubby
  
• read scriptures, a meaningful topical study
  
• said prayers
  
• crashed
  

i was exhausted.

the project

i am attempting to have perfect days. this, i am sure, will much to the amazement of my husband, family, and pretty much everyone who knows me. but really. i really am trying. here's a blog to prove it. 

to clarify:  i am not talking about the perfect day you describe in, say, an interior design questionnaire: "describe your perfect day...are you at the beach? in paris? giving a party?" (yes, on one of my not-so-perfect days i was reading interior design books).  i am talking about trying to more perfectly live that which i believe. have integrity. make time for the real stuff of life.

come laugh with us. share your stories. it'll be fun.