Going With The Flow

Motherhood has taught me the art of flexibility. With children, especially young ones, my days rarely go exactly as planned. Whether there’s an unexpected incident, a child is not feeling well, is in a bad mood, etc. There’s usually something that happens that causes my “To-Do List” to not always get done. But, I’ve come to learn that “going with the flow” can sometimes be more rewarding. Sticking to a rigid schedule or list isn’t always the way to go.

Spring Break

Take this past Spring Break week for example. We planned to spend 1/2 of our week at Disney, and 1/2 back at home with the kids. The kids wanted to do different activities each day. We pulled a few ideas from my Spring Break post. We had a ton of fun at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. So much that we only ended up going to the Disney parks for 2 of the 4 days we were there.

Surprise #1

By not sticking to a rigid schedule, we were able to have lunch with old friends. Our kids got to spend time with their kids and we all got to catch up. It was a welcomed surprise for the them, and we got to try a new, fun restaurant.

Surprise #2

On one of our lazy days, we were lounging on the “beach” at the resort. Randomly, a young woman came up to me. She asked if we were going to the parks that day. I told her no (cause we weren’t). Then she told me that she just completed a program at Disney and would be leaving that day. She had $83 left on a Disney dining gift card that she would not be using. She didn’t want it to go to waste, so she was looking for a family to give it to. It was a complete blessing for us! Had we stuck to our “to-dos” and made it a busy day at one of the Disney parks instead, we would have totally missed out on this.

Surprise #3

That same day, my daughter met a little girl staying at our resort. She was from another state. But she happened to be the same age as my daughter, and had the same NAME! They played for 2 hours, like they had known each other their whole lives.

Surprise #4

We woke up early one morning to make it to Disney’s Animal Kingdom just when the park was opening. We were hoping to beat the lines in Pandora – but they were already 120 minutes long by the time the park officially opened. (Disney fans never cease to amaze me!). Change of plans – we headed over to the African Safari and were lucky enough to catch the lion and two lionesses lounging around in the morning sun. Those of you who know Disney know that this is a pretty rare sight to catch. We caught it, just by going with the flow!

Surprise #5

We had a last minute ice cream break one night (with REALLY good ice cream!) and the kids played a few games at the onsite arcade that my husband discovered. Completely not in the “plans”, but they had so much fun!

Memories Made

When we got back home near the end of the week, the kids decided they wanted to go the library, then our local parks THREE DAYS IN A ROW. And that’s exactly what we did. They really enjoyed themselves, and I enjoyed watching them just have good ‘ole genuine fun!

When “To Do’s” Don’t Get Done

There was so much in my mind that I wanted to “get done” this Spring Break week. But I found that just being present was enough to put smiles on my kids’ faces and to make the week worthwhile. We were lucky enough to have little blessings and surprises sprinkled in, and created new memories for our family.

I know this is a “light” example referring to, but the same applies to our every day “to-dos”. There’s so much that has to get done daily between all of our roles as wives, moms, and working women. It’s difficult to always get it done in the 24 hours that we’re gifted each day. My husband always jokes with me because I kind of have a “rolling” To-Do list. There are certain things that are a priority for that day, and I know they must get done. But some things just get “rolled” to the next day. And I try not to feel bad about it.

Here’s to not getting down on yourself when your “to dos” don’t get done! Look for the bright side, the memories that can be made daily. Our days are divinely ordered. So there’s truly no need to worry about what’s not getting done. So make the most of it, enjoy every moment, and just go with the flow!

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