IDEA # 8 Take the Time When They are Young

After surviving 24 hours of club volleyball this past weekend, I am finally on my sisters blog as guest blogger #2!

First let me tell you a little about me  (yes dana even on your blog I am narcissistic!)
I am seven years older than my sister, Dana. (that makes me 41) I have been married for 17 years and have two children.  A 16 year old girl that plays a TON of volleyball and a 12 year old boy that plays basketball and baseball. This past year I have became obsessed (my mom and sister will tell you I don't know how to just become interested in something) with  health and wellness.  I am commited to being in the best shape I can be in by the end of 2010 and this goal is going to be much easier after I have my bladder surgery on monday!  okay that might of been a bit of an overshare.

So with all that said, some of my blogs this week will be health related and some will be how I have managed to survive raising two children to this point!

Now on to IDEA #8...Take the time... today.
  When my children were both under five I remember knowing moms that had older children and  I remember thinking, "when my kids are older I will have so much time?"  WRONG ,  you may be physically exhausted when your children are young but your schedule is still your own.  As your children grow, you become mentally exhausted and your schedule begins to take a back seat while you try to work around their schedule... dance lessons, tutors, sport practices, staying over at friends, driving them to a location to hang out b/c being at home is boring, working in their classroom so the teacher knows you are an involved parent and please give your kid some grace, staying up late because they had to see the late movie with their friends and on and on.  But something else that has started to creep into my schedule is the fact that I WANT to be with my kids as much as possible, especially my 16 year old.  She will be gone in two years, forever, and that is a shocking thought, when it feels like yesterday she was just eating dirt.  So here I am driving my daughter around when she will still let me, b/c now she has her licsense, getting up at 5:30am to just make her a breakfast with protein, anything, anything that will get me near her orbit so I can at least just "be" with her.

So if your children are young, don't say..."when they are older" b/c when they are older you will have even less time.  Make the time now too... start that business, go to the gym, go on a date night, take a trip with your husband or a girlfriend, go down to the local coffee shop and read a book. Whatever it is take some time for you.  It will be the best gift you give yourself but it will also be a gift to your children b/c when they are grown they will know it is OKAY when a parent takes time for themselves, so they will in turn be able to do the same when they are grown.  So again, now is the time because when your children are older it isn't as easy to get a sitter that can drive them to all of their events and help them with their homework while you're a way.  But when they are small you just need to find someone that has the energy to get them fed, changed and cleaned up from there day in their own backyard.

Here I am with Allie, my 16 year old.