Sometimes Life is Like a Peanut Butter Sandwich...

Have you ever been really, really, hungry and made yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Then, you pour yourself a big glass of ice cold milk. You take the first bite, and you wonder why you don't have peanut butter sandwiches for lunch every day, it just tastes so good? Next, you might think about the simplicity of a peanut butter sandwich as opposed to say, a club sandwich or leftover lasagna...

Sometimes, my life is like a peanut butter sandwich.

There are days that (too many, I'm afraid) where I try to cram every possible thing into the day...Like a few weeks ago, when Reagan had a doctor's appointment at Vanderbilt. I didn't want to drive up there again, so I crammed another appointment in within an hour of the other one. While it did pay off, I was completely stressed out trying to get from home to Nashville by 8:30 and to the two different appointments...Was it worth it? Probably, in terms of gas mileage and time - but it was a crazy, busy day.

There are other days (like today) when I am forced to slow down my pace of life. It is my birthday today - as I told Emma (every time she asks how old I am) I am old. I had planned on cramming so many little tidbits into today, so that I didn't think about how old I am getting - how my pants will never fit the way I want them to, and how much it is going to cost to maintain my current hair color.

I hope I am not alone.

Anyway, I was planning on getting up - kids off to school by 7:30, leave straight for the YMCA to workout (still trying to get into the smaller pants), exercise for an hour, shower, get the two little girls from daycare, go to Hobby Lobby, go to JCPenney, go to Ross, go to lunch....

You get the picture.

This morning - Emma woke up and didn't look so good. She announced - "I feel like I have to throw up".

Then she did.

I was completely undone. What in the world was I going to do to salvage my birthday? Clay hasn't been around much lately, because he is working 13 hour days due to the flood in Nashville. I have been virtually a single parent this week. Was it too much to ask to be able to spend MY BIRTHDAY the way I had planned?

Then, I started thinking again. I put on my workout clothes and the baby in the playpen. Used my elliptical machine that has been gathering dust upstairs (for those who are wondering, it is very difficult for me to workout at home due to Alyssa's crazy escape artist antics, hence the YMCA membership - which also gives me a few hours to myself each day). The baby gurgled and waved at me happily from the playpen. She thought it was great watching me sweat!

Next, I did the dishes, cleaned the bathroom, and sent a few Mother's Day cards...all of this with no stress involved...no running around, no moving kids in and out of the car...they played happily (well, I will be honest, Alyssa did scream all morning - in between playing)...

The dog was happy that I stayed home and he was allowed to run around instead of stay in his laundry room den.

I took a shower in my own bathroom - well, Ashleigh did play on the floor outside the shower - but she was happy anyway, and I am used to peeping toms by this point of my parental career.

I painted my toenails - when was the last time I had the time to actually do that?

Then, I went to a nice birthday lunch with my mom and Kristen....and 5 kids. Yes, we were totally outnumbered, but the kids did quite well - and Emma even ate a little bit.

After this, my mom took Alyssa for a few hours and Clay took Emma home - and Ashleigh and I shopped alone leisurely. I actually enjoyed myself.

The day that I had today - even though there was no birthday dinner (they had corn dogs) and no cake (cause Clay was too tired to think about it) was simple....and it worked.

Tonight, I bit into my peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I ate at 8 o'clock (because of a feverish Emma, screaming Alyssa, work issues, etc.) and I thought to myself what a great thing that a simple peanut butter sandwich is...

I think I am ready for another bite tomorrow....Oh, who am I kidding? I will probably also have a piece of cake on the side...