It's easy to get caught up in the treadmill of everyday life - you tidy up, the house gets messed up again, you tidy up again, everyone gets hungry. You feed them, then the kitchen is a mess. You tidy up, and they're hungry again...etc etc ad infinitum.
I've always fancied myself as a "fly by the seat of my pants kinda girl, you know, moment to moment". Think Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, but with less prostitution. Okay, no prostitution.
The thing is, deep down, I'm not all that spontaneous. I NEED routine, and stability, and to know what's happening next.
The more kids you have, or the busier your life is, the more I think you need routines and structure in your life.
The thing is, sometimes it can become too rigid, and I especially find myself clinging to my routines, sometimes unnecessarily. I become ruled by the clock, waking up every morning with a head full of to-do lists, and becoming irritated when anything gets in the way of my routine.
"No, we can't go to the park, it's 4pm, I have to make dinner"
"No, we can't play a board game, it's 6pm and we need to tidy up after dinner"
"No, I can't stop and play with you, have you SEEN the state of the house?"
So many "No's", not nearly enough "Yesses". When we become bogged down in everyday life, it becomes far too easy to forget to get down to the kids' level, to think "What harm would it do?", and to just ease up a little.
This weekend past, we were invited to Aviemore for the weekend. Steve's mum and dad have a timeshare there, and they asked us to come for the weekend. It was just the break we all so badly needed.
It was BEAUTIFUL. The little house we stayed in was gorgeous, and we were allowed to take Molly (our dog), who I think needed a holiday as much as we did. She sat beautifully in the boot the whole way there, and had a brilliant time running around in Loch Morlich when we first got there...
Watching Molly leaping around in the loch, full of joy (is there a lovelier sight than a happy dog jumping in the water?), made us realise how rigid thngs have been at home. We had spent so much time telling her off, not letting her on the sofa, getting annoyed with her for barking, etc. It was a much needed reminderfor us that she isjust like one of our kids, and needs a bit more freedom than she's been given lately. She was delighted to have so many open spaces to run around in.
Steve and I both needed a reminder that there's more to life than work, housework, routines and constant tiredness. We so badly needed a space to breathe, to enjoy a bit of sunshine and to reconnect. Our days had been filled with jobs, as soon as one thing was done, we were straight on to the next thing, doing everything for the kids and the house and having precious little left at the end of each day for ourselves, or each other.
The weather was stuning, and it was lovely during the time we were in the house to just leave the door open, to let the sun stream in and to let the kids and Molly run in and out of the house as they pleased. The found simple things to keep them happy, such as timing themselves running around the outside of the house, or finding random items to hide for each other to find.
I needed to hear them giggle, to see them run, and to watch their little faces filled with carefree joy, to remember that these are the things that matter.
Who cares that it's 4pm? So what if we eat dinner a little late? Does it really matter that there's a cushion on the floor, or that the dog is soaking wet, or that the beds haven't been made yet? All these things that had irritated the hell out of me just 24 hours before, suddenly became completely irrelevant.
On sunday, we took the kids on the Funicular Railway up the Cairngorm mountain, and if you ever needed something to heal your soul, this view would do it...
Oh my very goodness. When we got to the top and looked down, it was breathtaking. This is what life's all about. Not laundry. Not cleaning the fridge, or taking an inventory of the kitchen cupboards, or scrubbing the toilet bowl, or shouting because I've tripped over somebody's bloody shoes again.
We need to get outside, to appreciate this stunning landscape, to breathe in fresh air and to feel the sun on our faces.
I know things have to be done, we all have to work, to tidy up and to keep our families going with the mundane, everyday tasks.
What we need to be careful of though, is that we don't get lost in the routines and drudgery. If you find yourself losing your sparkle, head outside and put your watch away at the earliest opportunity.
I lost my soul in the kitchen sink, but I found my heart in the mountains.
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