Taking Time Doing What's Not on the List

“Stop and Smell the Roses.”

Every parent has uttered this cliché at one point or another. When you have children, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in the little things on your To Do List that you forget what’s important. This weekend, I had that rare opportunity to smell them roses – even though that was the last thing on my mind.

My Sunday began as many of them do, with one parent taking a child and racing off to a sporting event (this week it was Ben’s soccer game in Providence). With Georgia and Quinn in my bed with me, I turned on a show that Quinn loves and fought the losing battle to catch a few more minutes of sleep. While lying next to them, the upcoming schedule for the day raced through my mind. I hate to admit it, but instead of appreciating some precious time with my little ones, I was prioritizing the errands I had to do and what kid would be in the car with me while I did them. Terrible!

Georgia and I headed to her soccer game and by halftime, Andy had left with both of the boys to Ben’s second game of the day. With just one of the three kids with me for the afternoon, I could be incredibly productive and fly through my list once the soccer game was over, making the most of the day.

Looking back now, I’m ashamed just writing this.

As it was the last game of the season, I pulled my little team together and gave the Purple Panthers one last pep talk and team hug, telling them how proud I was of all that they had learned. Georgia asked if we could play a Mother vs. Kids soccer game, and I figured we would hang out for 15 minutes and still get the new phone battery and dinner ingredients I had on my list. So, we stayed.

It was a blast!

By the time we hit the store that afternoon, they told me it would be a 20-minute wait for my appointment. Although initially frustrated, Georgia and I walked across the street to , sat down at the bar…

And ate clam chowder.

We talked about the soccer season, her friends at school and how delicious oyster crackers were. We checked out the swanky décor and decided that on our next trip there, we would DEFINITELY get the sweet potato fries. When we got back to the Apple store and found ourselves in the waiting line again, we played with Photo Booth on the laptops and took crazy pictures of ourselves.

And we laughed.

When we got home I resisted the urge to wash the breakfast dishes in the sink and instead curled up with Georgia on the sofa and watched “Field of Dreams.” By the time the boys got back we were happy to see them and thankful to have each other. It was a great day.

You see, I am one of the worst offenders when it comes to having too much to do. And although my “Girls Day” with Georgia was intended as anything BUT, I’m so happy it turned out that way. I decided that no matter how hard it is to push things off that “have to be done,” sometimes the most important item on your To Do List is the one that isn’t written down.

The breakfast dishes can wait.