Make It Count Mondy - Vol. 3
Written and published on October 8th, 2012. Archived to previous year.
Happy Holiday Monday! I hope that in addition to making today count, you have the pleasure of taking today off thanks to Columbus sailing the ocean blue 520 years ago! If you don't, have no fear...you can still make it count wherever you are!
Evaluation from last week: Last week my goals were to continue waking up with my alarm and finding times to contain social media interactions. I did...okay. Not horrible but not great, either. It's still tough to obey my alarm when I know that after I silence it, it will stay silent and not yell at me if I happen to head grumbling back towards the bed. I know going to bed earlier helps, but this wasn't a banner week for that, either. Regarding social media, I kept most of my writing and posting to naptime and post-bedtime so I would spend more time interacting with the kids throughout the day. But I still had a hard time breaking the insidious habit of checking email and websites even when I wasn't posting anything. Especially when my kids were telling a particularly long and drawn out story. More work to do on that one!
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| I'm sure thankful when people show me more kindness than I deserve! |
~MOTIVATION~
I did, however, do a pretty good job jam-packing the week with quality time and activities with the kids! Not just with family, but with friends, too. We spent Tuesday at some beautiful gardens that the kids loved and I braved taking them out to lunch afterwards (a scary prospect sometimes when there's one of me and three of them). We had new friends over on Thursday morning and accepted an impromptu invitation to dinner on Thursday night. We invited this in-laws over on Friday for dinner and a game night, and took the kids ice skating with more family on Saturday. And I spent Sunday afternoon with my two amazing friends doing some random acts of kindness. I realized that even though I'd initiated most of the get-togethers and it took some work and planning, I benefited so much from spending so much quality time with others, and I ended the week with a pretty full heart! And I certainly didn't spend a whole lot of time distracted by social media when I was with others!
~DIRECTION~
As my husband said regarding dinner, game night, and skating, "we should really plan stuff like this more often. We don't get together with everyone often enough!" And I agree. So that will be my main focus this week, in attention to actually listening to the alarm and consolidating social media time.
~ACCOUNTABILITY~
I've started a list of a few people--both family and friends--who I'd like to reconnect with this week either by phone or email. I'll also clear my schedule for at least one get-together this week. For the kids specifically, I'm going to plan one simple activity a day (and actually put all of those ideas I've pinned to work instead of just checking it 30 times a day!). And that starts now, with family photo op time at the gardens!
Happy Make It Count Columbus Day!
I found this old saying very helpful,"If it's to be it's up to me." If you wait for someone else to initiate almost anything it seems to not happen. I got to know lots of moms and their children by having a good muffin recipe (for mini muffins)and a variety of teas. People with 'kids' in their twenties still remember the hospitality. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm not a natural 'initiator,' but the Army turned me in to one!
DeleteThat's a great idea! Unfortunately I'm not the baker, but I did have someone this past week ask for my chocolate chip cookie recipe! Which I gave them, after admitting that it was my husband's recipe, not mine ;) I CAN brew a mean tea, though!
I didn't tell anyone at the time (unless they asked)but I threw in mini chocolate chips into a muffin mix. I would bake them that morning so it would taste and smell good. Sort of cheating but it isn't about the food.
ReplyDelete