My name is Amie and I am a daily planning addict! I'm all about having a schedule, plan, an idea about what I'm going to do even if it isn't well executed. I am a planning freak. I love it. I need to have my calendar with little dots on all the events, I need to know exactly what I am doing every day, otherwise I may not accomplish anything. I will not be the mom who needs to borrow from others (ha,ha,ha). I annoy my mother in law and husband with plans. When their days with me come around, I want an itinerary of how they will be spending the day so I can see if their plans coincide with mine. It is a constant source of annoyance in our house and I cannot help it!The addiction was really bad when my kids were babies. How many of you when you first began to have your babies went out and bought everything you could because you wanted to be prepared? Who has the largest diaper bag full of the most stuff? I still carry around way too much stuff on a trip that might take us out of the house for more than a few hours. One of my good friends has the Swiss army bag, in her purse she has EVERYTHING for any need you might have. My question to all of us prepared bag holders, how's your back?
“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
― John Lennon
― John Lennon
When the kids and I embark on the day we are ready and know exactly what is going to happen that day. I'm pretty protective over this plan. I say I am going to get something done and I count that it's going to happen. But, as the famous Robert Burns quote goes "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray!" In life with kids, this is often true. One kid decides to see what their sibling would do when they jumped on their back. The other feels utterly attacked and embarrassed so they begin wailing. IN the meantime you are downstairs carefully filling little snack baggies as you are positive the kids will not be able to make it without those baggies at the park. Fifteen minutes later after scolding one and consoling the victim, you are ready to finish those baggies. Then the phone rings, emails, visitors.... the list can go on and on. Suddenly, you check the clock and were an hour past park time. It's already into naptime and everyone is grumpy. What do you do?
After having many of these hot summer days, planning, packing, and embarking out into the 115 Vegas Heat, I decided to change my philosophy of planning and embrace living. This change actually made my kids uncomfortable. Every day in their lives I have tried to create a secure world for them, with sunblock, towels, predictability, etc. So, suddenly they thought I lost it when I decided in the middle of the day to do a fun craft. I was busy at work and had a light bulb flash. Let's attempt some of the crayon melting crafts. Didn't know if we had enough but we did it and my kids loved it all. They kept asking "Mom do we have all the stuff?" "Really?" The next day after making an Avon delivery we decided to stop at a waterpark "But mom, we don't even have sunscreen or towels!" I told them we were living dangerously. They told me that was almost the funnest time they had (except when their grandma did the exact same thing without planning it). All because they didn't expect it.
Sometimes, I feel like this can be applied to life in general. Plans and goals are crucial, yet as we are pounding the grindstone to get to the goal are we looking up? Have we noticed the little peaks and valleys along the way? Having the comforts in life along the way of any trip or excursion is important, yet have you spent so much energy and time into planning are you not able to enjoy the end destination? I can't count how many times we get there and I beat myself up because I forgot something. Did that one forgotten item affect the outcome? no. Did everyone still have fun? Yes.
Like in Hannah Montana's song "The Climb"
Cause there's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be a uphill battle Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb, yeah!
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