Daily Manndates: It's all relative

It's been a very productive day, yet here I sit, at the computer, avoiding my Beginning Sewing textbook. I was chatting with Dave last night about something that has been on my mind again today so I think I ought to share. Hopefully Hubby doesn't mind me throwing him under the bus a little bit... I had my first class Monday night and wasn't expecting to get home until around 11PM so I asked my sweet husband to make Jude's "all about me" poster for preschool. It didn't have to be fancy and I actually told him exactly what I wanted it to look like to help him out (and because of the OCD...) I got home from school around 10PM and had my "decompression" time where I sit on the couch and watch TV until I can turn my brain off and go to sleep. At about 11:45PM I asked Husband about the poster and he said he hadn't had a chance to work on it and then could not find the construction paper. Boo. At that point I just wanted to go to bed.

In the morning as Dave was leaving for work he told me he printed the pictures that I had requested for the poster and that I could just glue them on and make it "simple". Nope. He knew what would happen. Simple, while a lovely thought, is not in my vocabulary. I love simple, don't get me wrong, but those that know me know that I have a little problem and seem to do everything the most complicated way possible. That's just how I work. So after Husband and Thing 1 left for work and school I put Judela in front of some Yo Gabba Gabba and set to work all the while moaning and sighing about the fact that I asked Husband to do this the night before. When I finished and Jude saw my masterpiece it was worth it all. It was then I had an Ah Ha moment.

A month ago I would have been the first one to leave the house and any unfinished projects would have remained unfinished until I returned in the evening. A month ago I would have been doing busy work, talking to customers, solving work problems and the like rather than cutting and gluing. Why was I complaining!? I literally had 2 hours that I could spend creating something that my child would absolutely love and I was upset about this? I quickly realized that everything is relative. I told myself to take a step back and realize what I would rather be doing here. Yes, what I did before was important, somewhat satisfying and actually fun most of the time but, I'm telling you, making the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse out of construction paper is a lot more fun, more satisfying and, arguably, more important than anything I was doing before. I am grateful for this opportunity and I may have to remind myself about that constantly.

Today I was able to put a joke in my kid's lunch, watch Carter receive the Principal's Pride award at his school, attend a dance class of Jude's best friend (even though we weren't able to sign him up as planned), sing and play with Jude while we made and then messed up my bed, vacuum, take out trash, hand wash things I've been meaning to hand wash FOREVER, and even clean a toilet. Woohoo! All better than not having the opportunity to do any of it. There are days I don't feel like doing anything... and there are days I don't do anything but the key here is that I can do things I wasn't able to before. I never thought I would be grateful for the opportunity to clean a toilet used by a 5 year old boy but today I am. I know not every day will be like this and I will surely complain about having to clean up after my not-so-sharp shooter but today I am overwhelmed with appreciation for the fact that I get to do something so worth doing that even the "crappy" jobs are better than anything I could have done before.