An Unbalanced Life

Thank you for the lovely comments and ideas, they are all great. I especially love the love notes idea... I never thought of that and my oldest would get such a kick out of it. Thanks again!

We're always waiting to 'find time', planning to do things 'as soon as...'  Well folks, we've got all the time there is.  There isn't any extra lying around under the bed...just dust bunnies there.  So, here are a few things that I have found that work to create memorable moments in the midst of the chaos:

Engage everyone in the family in home projects (cooking, cleaning, fixing, etc.)  Make it fun, a contest, a race, something that gets done faster with 6 hands than just your 2.  Then, with the time you have left over,  celebrate...go for a bike ride, share an ice cream sundae, read a book together. 

Make meals in advance and freeze them.  Spend Saturday morning together making and freezing dinners for the week.  Make a calendar of which day you're going to have each.  Each morning, take the package out of the freezer to defrost.  Then, instead of worrying about what's for dinner and having to shop for it and prepare it, you can just pop your pre-made meal in and while it's cooking, you can be with your family.

Got spare time at work?  Write your kids little love notes.  Then, when you get home, hide them around the house, put them in their lunch boxes or back packs. 

Here's the most powerful thing of all. I discovered it when my kids were little and I felt like I was going in 10 directions at once and they were getting the short end of the stick.  When you are with them, look them straight in the eye, really be present for them, even if it's just for 5 minutes.  That connection through the eyes creates a bond in the heart! 

Jannabee, you sound like a great and loving Mom!  You're doing great and you're right, time passes so quickly!  Carpe Diem!!

Cindy