Thankful Thursday...with no time to spare

It's been a busy week and next week isn't going to be any better. Of course, what I count as busy these days is slightly different than it used to be and is totally relative. Both my sisters-in-law are managing motherhood and jobs, one while preparing to move, so I really have no room to talk! Nevertheless, I've got more going on than I've had in the past several months and I'm out of practice!

What I once could have gotten knocked out in one afternoon is taking forever to cross off the list. I've gone out three different times shopping for my grandmother's 80th birthday present, trying to find a dress for myself and Audrey for her dedication at church, and buying Bible study supplies. It just takes forever when you're operating on an infant's schedule. She doesn't sleep very well away from home anymore, so timing is proving rather difficult.

I still haven't found outfits for either of us and I've yet to order a cake that I need for my Grandmother's birthday get-together on Saturday! I haven't been to the grocery store all week and I'm kind of amazed we've lasted this long on random leftovers and freezer-stocked stuff (thanks, Mrs. Linda for your yummy emergency meal!) I'm way behind in planning our annual Halloween party for friends from HS/College and there are several returns I need to make that are just sitting around in bags driving me crazy. Not to mention I really need to get to the bank, the dry cleaners, and the library soon before these checks expire, the cleaners donate our clothes, and the library posts a "Wanted" ad because they think we're thieves. Don't even get me started on how pitiful my Christmas shopping pile looks. I'm usually more than half-way finished by now and completely through and have half of it wrapped by Thanksgiving. Poke fun if you will, but this frees me up to decorate, bake, host/attend parties, and just enjoy the season instead of spending it with strangers in a crowded mall. I've always been amazed when I hear about the madness in stores on Christmas Eve. The holidays are the same time every year, people. It shouldn't take you by surprise.

Anyway, back to the present: Next week is going to be focused on getting the house cleaned and decorated for fall. I want it to be all ready for hosting family after Audrey's dedication. I still haven't decided if I'm going to make dinner for everyone that evening. David is begging me to quit stressing and just order pizza, but I want it to be special for her special day. So, I gotta figure that out quickly. I'll also (hopefully) be making party invitations to get in the mail, in between Bible study homework and class, Ladies' Night Out, and hopefully a workout or two because we've got a 5K next Sunday (yes, the same day as her dedication). Oh yeah, and the whole parenting Audrey thing.

I think what really bothers me about all of this is that I've lost the ability to get things done way in advance. I'm still managing to stay on top of stuff, but I'm just cutting it closer than I'd like to. Pre-Audrey, my grandmother's present would've been bought, wrapped, and placed by the door at least ten days in advance. I would've had the Halloween party invitations finished and ready to be mailed so that they'd arrive exactly one month prior to the party date. Clothes were picked up from the cleaner the day they were ready and I didn't have a record at the county library.

"Well," you say, "welcome to motherhood. Told you so. You just have to learn to let it go." I beg you to swallow the urge. You may roll your eyes or think I'm being ridiculous, but my OCD and pre-planning are a huge part of who I am. My ability to think way ahead is the major reason we haven't run out of diapers (or anything else, for that matter), David and I have been able to have dates out (because I schedule them in advance, line up the grandparents, and stick to it), and our bills are mailed on time. I'm not stupid enough to think I'm never going to drop the ball, but so far, we've been doing very well considering we're new at this parenting thing and aren't operating on full brain capacity or good sleep. I think a large part of that is due to my preparation well in advance. Becoming a parent is a total culture-shift, and yet we still manage to bathe ourselves and form complete sentences (most of the time), while taking on all of the above to-dos.

Just as some people thrive under the pressure of procrastination, I find joy and relief in knowing things are taken care of well in advance. I'm one of those "if you're not ten minutes early, you're late" kind of dorks. It's part of my organized, Type A, I-love-my-label-maker charm. I guess I'll just have to figure out how to back things up even farther to allow more time to get them done. So look out, friends and family, I'm calling to schedule Christmas 2010. Now where did I put the venue idea list for AJ's first birthday party...(you think I'm joking?!)

"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Hmmm...does planning count as worrying?! While I worry about that, here is this week's list...

1. A new ladies' Bible study group I just joined. I hesitated to try it at first since it's not at our church, but it's so close to the house and fits great with our schedule. Plus, I must admit there is a bit of freedom and relief that comes from not being known as a former church staff member. Bottom line: I need the spiritual teaching & the adult interaction and they teach from the Word of God. I'm in! Now we'll see if I ever get any of the approx. hour-a-day homework finished...

2. Audrey's cooing. In the last week, she has gotten more vocal and it is the sweetest sound! It's cute to see her try so hard just to form a little "ooo" or "aaa"! It's hard to believe that it won't be long before she'll be talking like crazy...if she takes after her Mama, that is.

3. Long naps. For the past couple of days, Audrey's naps have been shorter and intermittent (growth spurt?!) so it makes me really grateful for the ones that last a long time!

4. Georgia Tech football. So I don't always know what's going on and I probably couldn't name five players on the team, but the start of their season signifies fall and reminds us of David's years down there. In our house, it brings about school pride and tradition and fond memories. Go Jackets!!!

5. My precious husband. It's been awhile since I've expressed my gratitude for all he does for us. The other night he came home after working a long day and kept Audrey while I ran errands for an hour. While I was gone and AJ was napping, he finished his (short) "honey-do" list and even did a couple of things I didn't write down. What a great guy!

Have a great rest of the week!