Feel the Rhythm

I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal. That's my nature, and it's not all bad. However, it doesn't contribute much to my goals of a non-chaotic home and life.

I have spent a good portion of my adult life figuring out how to have some consistency to put a little structure in my life (and the lives of my kiddos). I got annoyed with myself when I tried to time everything and stick to a clock-dictated schedule.

So, I figured out something that has worked fairly well that doesn't really tie me down to a minute-by-minute must-do rigid itinerary. Which is impossible anyway.

I call it "Rhythm!" Ooh, can you feel it? Are you bouncin' in your seat to the magical mom beat? Oh, yeah. Rhythm. Hear the saxophone sing it to ya! Adds a little jazz to the day while harmony and melody and, well, rhythm and rhyme help me know how to spend my time.

I use meals as milestones (which may explain my expanding waistline). Naps come after meals. And "clean-the-scene" helps me stay a little ahead of messes... though there is still enough mess to need daily maintenance done by kiddos old enough to do chores.

Wake up, shower, read scriptures with the family, breakfast, send off -- with deliberate hugs -- those who leave for school or work, get piano practicing started, get dressed (gotta fit that in somewhere!), walk the girls to school, change diaper and put baby down for morning nap, read my own scriptures, clean the kitchen, make & serve lunch, pick the girls up from school, work with them on math, boys come home from school, everyone bless the house, change the diaper and put baby down for afternoon nap, family reading, daddy comes home, dinner, clean the kitchen, baths, alone time, bedtime. Whew.

Ya might notice that "change the diaper" is only in there twice. Well, she gets more clean diapers than that -- I just have to purposely do it before naptime so she doesn't sleep soggy! But that's a good example of how I've had to teach myself little tricks and patterns and routines to help my overall mommy score. And I mean that musically, not athletically!

I try to be fluid, like a good improv pianist, who can still make a song out of the random notes thrown at him by his band. That's what rhythm means to me as a mom!

What's your rhythm like?