Living in the moment isn't just about the happy times....it's about living fully, even in the difficult moments. For example, last night I was going out to dinner with two of my friends. You know how it is as a mom...if we go out everyone else still needs to be taken care of. I was supposed to leave a little before 6:30 and Jay wasn't getting home until then, so I was on my own getting dinner ready, taking care of the baby(who was very cranky and in need of a good nap), and trying to get myself ready to go out.
I decided to just make cheeseburgers and hot dogs with freezer fries for dinner since it required no real prep and not much clean up for Jay. I started the grill and the oven in plenty of time to have it ready as the teenagers came in the door from sports so that I would have some time to get myself ready.
It was raining a little, but that wasn't a big deal. I don't melt.
I put the burgers on the grill and went back inside to get the spatula and tray and the hot dogs. A few minutes later I went outside and.....the grill is cooling off. Turns out we ran out of propane. Ugh!
Thankfully, my parents live across the street so Mike went over to their house and borrowed their propane tank, hooked it up to our grill, and restarted it. I was now running behind, the baby was crying with Sarah, and the fries were just about done. Deep breath...trying to stay patient.
I go out to flip the burgers(in the rain) and notice lots of smoke coming out of the grill! Oh, no.....grease fire! I mutter a quick prayer of "Please don't let the burgers be on fire and ruined", since I have no plan B. I opened the grill and flames shot up all over the place. I flipped the burgers quickly and put them all in an area that had the least amount of flame! Most didn't look too bad.....a couple looked a little like hockey pucks! Ugh...well, cheese hides everything, right?!?
I finish the burgers(quickly) and turn off the grill. I come inside to take Kate and nurse her to get her that much needed extra nap. At 6:25, Jay has just gotten home and I am sitting on the couch nursing the baby in the sweat pants and t-shirt I have worn all day...no make-up, no hairspray....and I was supposed to leave at 6:20!
I was sitting on the couch, trying to focus on living in the moment, and trying not to be resentful that when Jay goes out with his friends he only has to come home, change and leave without worrying about anyone else! Why is it, as a mom, that it is so much work just trying to get a break?
And.....why can't I ever seem to get more that 5 minutes to try and make myself presentable?
It all worked out in the end. I managed to put Kate down, asleep, for the first time that day without her waking up. (Did I mention she desperately needed a nap?) I managed to throw on some (clean) jeans and a dressier shirt. I didn't have time to search for earrings, but I did put a little make-up on and brushed my hair and teeth quickly. I think I have perfected the 5 minute readiness routine!
'Living in the moment' with my friends was much easier that 'living in the moment' of preparing to go out. There were certainly more opportunities to practice patience in the preparation moments....and it could have gone a lot worse. The only person throwing a fit last night was Kate...so that's an improvement on the past!
I had a great time with my friends and I got to eat a meal that was warm and eat with both hands! Having adult conversation was a nice touch, too:)
