Get Your Shoes on Now!

Ever have a morning like this? The following is sadly a true account and rather disturbing glimpse of my morning "off from work".
6:00am I did manage to wake up before the family to run. Then Hello Chaos.
7:30am Nike Girl and Weebok awake, get dressed and brush hair, teeth, and start eating breakfast.
8:00 am :"Get your shoes on, please." Cleaning up from breakfast.
8:08 am: Changing diaper. "Nike Girl, find your shoes and get them on please." Nike Girl reading the cereal box.
8:12 am Feeding the dog. "Do you have your shoes on? Please get them on."
8:15am Grabbing Weebok and looking for my keys that I thought I had left by the garage door. "We are leaving. You have no shoes."
8:18am "Get your shoes on Now! "Forgot diaper bag run upstairs to get bag.
8:20am "Nike Girl Get your shoes on NOW! " Wipe Weebok's face again.
8:23 am "Everyone into the car, march 2,3,4. Everyone buckled? " Oh .I forgot my purse. Just a minute. Run inside.
8:25am "Let's go kiddos! " "Mommy...MoMmY...MOMMY....  "I turn around. Nike Girl is pointing at Weebok's feet. Oh, Weebok doesn't have her shoes. Run back upstairs.
8:29am  Headed down the road amazingly on time to participate in a workshop entitled, "Bring Peace to your Home." I am beaded up with sweat. It is a hot and humid day. I certainly can not get there fast enough! We need peace, like peanut butter needs jelly!

I sit at a round table with a group of gals, I do not know. We start going around the table to introduce ourselves and tell why we decided to join in and bring peace to our homes. I develop hives on my neck at the thought of any public speaking. I heard things like, "Our kids are so stressed", "We have activities going every night" "My husband and I work two jobs each", "I have 8 kids" , " I have 4 dogs"  then it was my turn.  " Hi. We need peace because I seem to be frazzled, disorganized, and tired of being the one always rushing and yelling "Get your shoes on now!"  Blank stares. That seems so lame, almost embarassing. I know there are so many real things that are much greater to conquer but for me at that moment it felt so true.

My family seems to be living in a busy fast paced activity driven world. Always jetting out the door to get somewhere, work, an activity, or to buy something that we really probably in the spectrum of things do not need. There has to be a balance between these things. Sure we go on family outings, bike rides, hikes, and things like that. It is the everyday grind that is hard to find peace in sometimes.

The one common thread I heard over and over was that the adults especially the female in the family seems to set the mood of the household.  I was at first defensive toward that statement because surely moi does not create chaos. Then I realized in our family dynamics there is truth to that statement. Converse always jokes and says , "If mama is happy then daddy is happy." Maybe he was on to something. It was suggested that we should get back to just relaxing at home. Kids should play and be creative with their own imaginations. Why all the pressure from our culture to be the best at anything when we are only 6? If one has a God given talent , it will come out one way or another. The grown ups should know their limits of being too stressed and stop and relax before you get to that point of yelling towanda. It is about finding a balance between it all. Things I know but am too busy to put into practice. We should stop and smell the roses even if they are wilting a bit. 

So I left the workshop feeling a little more in control. A little more in control because when we got into the car to leave Nike Girl and Weebok had both shoes on. A little more in control because I just needed to know I was not alone in this chaotic feeling world. Get back to some simplicity. Find a balance. Pray, that is a big one for me. Use common sense, like just putting shoes by the back door would probably be beneficial.  I am hopeful tomorrow will bring a little more peace to our home. Well ,until the dog refuses to go outside to do her thing because it is suppose to rain in the morning and she is disturbed by wet paws. But I will try really hard to find balance.

Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl

Running Report: Ran 6 miles and did Jillian Michaels. The heat and humidity makes me not want to get my own shoes on and walk out the door. But once I am out there running, my mind clears and it is peaceful. Hope you find some peace today and remember to smell the roses even if some of them are wilting.