17. Pardon My Hiatus - routines

As any mother knows, life ebbs and flows.

At the end of a difficult phase blooms an entirely new challenge.

My two year old, who was an excellent sleeper, started potty training. She got it all figured out really quickly. I was so proud.

Since my last post we have taken several cross-country trips and as a result, all our hard work was derailed.

Sleep was not happening.

There is pee all over the house.

Meal time was a struggle.

Have you experienced this with your family before?

Little disturbances turning into tidal waves of chaos.

How does one recover from a vacation?

And how long does it take to return to normal again?

In my experience, it depends on the experience. It was much simpler to recover from a short flight to Grammy's house than six days in the car and a family reunion. A lot of it has to do with how similar the environment is between here and there.

We have a pretty relaxed routine at home. I just shared a series of Tik Tok videos detailing our typical day. We don't keep a rigid schedule because our lifestyle is pretty spontaneous. That doesn't mean that we have no structure, but I do allow space for a lot of flexibility.

Some nights were in bed by 9:00, others we have a late night and the kids are in bed by 12:30,

if were lucky.

When we travel I mentally prepare myself for the chaos and embrace it. I am highly tuned into the need for stability. I find myself stealing little moments to hide away and recharge. Kids are not quite so in-tuned to that ability. They go, go, go, go, until they crash. Whether that's a nap or a full blown meltdown is unique to each kid. But the need to recharge is universally human.

Being in-tune with these feelings takes intention and practice. You can not be intentional while you're distracted. Although I love to serve you all, I live to serve my family first.

Thank you for understanding.

You all have not been far from my mind.

I don't see our spontaneity going away any time soon. My goal is to learn to juggle both my personal life and professional aspirations. As my kids get older it may get easier.

At least that is the goal.

With every skill I teach them, they learn to need me less. I doubt my job will ever really be done but at least I get a couple steps closer to finding myself again.

I'm on to another phase and a new routine. I can't answer all the questions for you, but I hope they prompt you to look at your own life and ask what is right for your family. If breaking routine is too overwhelming and you choose to keep the family on course, good for you! If you choose to uproot everything and deal with the results as they may come, I wish you luck. Nobody but you can decide the pace of your family because that is your role.

I protect the peace in my family because I am the Peacebringer.

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