Family Life blog – Juggling Mama

Today after a particularly busy day my bouncy little three year old came up to me and announced “I have fire in my pants” of course this caused a reaction of laughter from everyone at the table including myself.  When I asked him to tell me  more, he began to run around frantic, zig zagging in every direction and announcing “fire fire fire in my pants”

I was rolling at this point but had to ask ” buddy where did you come up with that?” much to my surprise my sweet little brown eyed boy looked straight at me and said” Mommy you always have fire in your pants that is why you never sit down cause it burns”

Yes, at this point my jaw dropped to the floor, and I was not sure whether to laugh or cry. Even my little guy can see how much I go & do. Even he has taken into account my inability to not sit and be still. My sweet three year old just ment it to be funny and it was at the time, but it defiantly made me stop and think.

Of course I can’t just stop everything and commence  to painting my nails when ever I want, but do I really want to be known as the lady with fire in her pants? I think not, so I sought out some really great advise from some trusted friends and colleges. After gently letting me in on the secret that I am indeed already known as the lady with the fire in her pants, a small  light was shed that there  is hope for me still.

It is true I have to prioritize better, and learn to not take on so much. But the recurring theme to their advise was to just slow down a bit. Often times we get so wrapped up in thinking ahead that we end up bouncing from one task to another with no transition at all. The best advise I was given was to simple take on one thing at time. Which for me means focusing solely on just one task. Then once you have completed that task take a minute to acknowledge your accomplishments no matter how big or small, and then and only then move onto something else.

I am not sure if I will ever be rid of the stigma of being the lady with fire in her pants, but by applying this new life lesson given to me by some very wonderful people. I at least hope to be able to correct this tendency to overdo enough that my kids, friends, and family notice something else, anything else about me than how on fire my pants seem to be.