Friday

It's Friday! Which is all the more exciting this week because my husband actually has the weekend off -- no reserve duty, no football games to work as a recruiter, no training events with the cadets...just family time. How rare and sweet that is! Though, despite it's worthiness as a topic, that's not what this blog post is about. It's about Friday. And, how I'm thinking of spending Fridays this fall and winter.

Trying to establish any sort of plan or routine for the long-term is near impossible for us in this stage of life, because as soon as we think we have C settled into a nice little routine, something happens developmentally that throws us into a new phase with new challenges, new fun aspects of raising him, and new routines. However, I know that if I don't make plans and I don't still TRY to have routines here and there, I'm going to go crazy. I know this because I've been so very discontent up until recently. But, I think it has been a good discontent. I know a lot of people who would probably tell me that being discontent in anything other than ungodliness is a bad thing. I kind of think they're wrong. (Is that okay to say here? Sorry if you're one of them...I still love you. :) Discontent is often what God seems to use to push me into some good thing. I'm not talking about sulking discontent (though, I can be good at that, too) -- I'm talking about stirring in your heart discontent. Someone much smarter than me could expound on that and help draw distinct lines between them -- but, for me, for now, I'll settle for saying that I think I'm starting to know them when I feel them -- the good vs. the bad sort of discontent, that is. And, I have friends and a husband who can help me figure out which it is, if I'm not able to tell. (Note: Discontent that leads us to want to sin is always bad and destructive. Always counter that voice in your head with the Gospel...always.)

But, this time, it's been a sort of discontent that I think is common to new mothers. The discontent with not having time to do things that you enjoy. For me, that thing is little, creative, productive projects. So, I'm thinking of allowing myself that time on Fridays for a season -- trying it, and seeing how it goes. Of course, there are feedings, naps, and just general care-taking to work around, but I'm thinking that one day a week, I won't pressure myself to check off the to-do list. I'll let myself do something that I want to do -- make something for the house, bake something I've been wanting to try, decorate for a new season, etc... I want to do all of the things I need to do to take care of C and our household, too, but it's a "want-to-do" that's more rooted in necessity and urgency, if that makes any sense. I want to do what I need to do, but I also want to do what I don't NEED to do sometimes -- just something fun.

I'm beginning to think that this blog is taking a turn towards being a place where I work things out in my head. Ha! I'll have to post some cute little pictures of the little man soon, so this blog doesn't turn into just being about me and what's in my head.