Back to Life, Back to Reality

The last couple of weeks have been a sort of break from reality for me, as close to an actual vacation you can get as a mom without actually leaving home. My mom came to visit for a lovely 2 weeks, spoiling us, magically making laundry disappear, letting me sleep in, and simply being the best of company.  Tim also took an unheard of week off at home post-Christmas and I loved waking up every morning and seeing him there. We also treasured simply running errands together, redoing our kid’s room, and a few wonderful dates, thanks to mom.

While on my “vacation,” I thought all of this extra help would mean additional dedication on my part to my blog, my work, and maybe even my home (our bedroom is our dumping ground, the last place to be cleaned, a true embarrassment that I was certain to tackle).  Truth was, I surprised myself by taking a break from it all and not really minding. I still worked, cleaned a bit, and blogged, but now that mom has left (boo) and Tim is at work today (miss him), I find that I’ve got an enormous list to tackle. Don’t be surprised if you see a post every day this week on my blog because suddenly I feel as though there’s a back log of things to say. The following are waiting to be written:

A review/giveaway of Skin MD
The story of me, Tim, and the Poisonwood Bible
My kid’s room makeover
Bumbledoo Training Pants Review
Where I see my blog headed in 2011: or how I hope that worrying/planning/thinking about it less and going with my head/heart more will produce the desired results.
One big goal: Step away from the computer more, like I did on vacation. It definitely helps with perspective and keeps me more grounded in the moment, enjoying my everyday in a different way.  It also makes my time online a higher quality experience and less of an escape route.

As for this morning, I’ve tackled one dirty bathroom and a few overflowing garbage cans. This afternoon will mean scheduling interviews for the paper again. What I don’t finish today can be tackled tomorrow. For now, it looks like I’ve got a date with an ornery little boy and some matchbox cars. Tonight I get some “me” time at the hairstylists (what isn’t improved with a little bit more red?).

The truth is, vacation helped me remember that my kids will not always be little and family time is precious. Fretting over what needs to be done, obsessing over what could be, worrying over what isn’t or who I am not, never produces the results I want.

My big desire for 2011: Keep doing the things I love, be sure to accomplish what needs to be done along the way, make room to expand and grow, keep an eye on the future without obsessing over it, and enjoy today. What’s yours?