I had a plan today.
But my 3-year old woke up with a horrible cough and the clinginess that only a sick child can exhibit.
I had a plan today.
But my 1-year old woke up with a grumpy attitude and the need to push my buttons.
I had a plan today.
But one of my three dogs didn’t quite make it outside and pooped on my dining room floor.
I had plan today.
But my crappy internet service decided to, as usual these days, prove why I consider it to be crappy.
I had a plan today.
But the cold and damp weather caused my chronic low back pain to soar from its usual 2 on the pain scale to a 6.
I had a plan today.
But I’ve spent the majority of the day trying to keep my sick child and my grumpy child from fighting over EVERY SINGLE TOY in this house.
I had a plan today.
But I’ve grown so tired caring for a sick child and calming a grumpy toddler and cleaning up after poopy elderly dogs and resisting the urge to yell expletives at the internet gods and trying to ignore my aching back and playing referee for toddler MMA and simply trying to keep my head above water that the plan has been replaced, COMPLETELY, with my running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
I will not go for a run first thing this morning. I will not get my final online holiday shopping completed. I will not work on identifying letters of the alphabet with my oldest. I will not get my remaining Christmas decorations hung indoors. I will not begin my outdoor Christmas decorating, either. I will not get a nap. I will not write the deep, meaningful holiday blog post I’ve been thinking about for 2 weeks.
I will snuggle my children, calming their tired bodies and loving their hyper-sensitive souls. I will give them my undivided attention. I will do a few jumping jacks, a set of pushups, a couple sets of squats, and some much needed back exercises. I will throw my plan out the window and focus on what NEEDS to be done today based on the cards that have been dealt. I will say a prayer for healing, physical and emotional, for ALL beings in this home. And I will be grateful for all of the distractions that caused my plan to go awry. I will be exhausted by the end of today and there will be a sense of disappointment because 1) I didn’t achieve any of my original goals, 2) I didn’t act throughout the day as tenderly and lovingly as I feel I should have and 3) I know I can do better to be more positive when my plans are not adhered to. But I will, once again, learn from today’s mistakes and try to make tomorrow better for all of us.