Learning to be spontaneous.

I am by nature a list maker and planner. I love to organize. When I was a preteen I used to take the catalogs and make lists of what I would buy when I got my own home. I would go through my wardrobe and try everything on to see how I could pair things together to make different outfits. I would write down all the combinations and see how long I could go without wearing the same thing twice. I am the weird one who loves to make budgets.

So, it is not by nature that I live with five kids. I can't plan and organize our days and expect everything to go accordingly. Kids just do not work on a plan and there is always things that were unplanned or forgotten that come up. I am learning to just go with the flow and be able to keep some sanity. You know how??? I plan for it! I stock my house with foods that I can pull out and quickly prepare. I have a tote where I can grab coupons to be cut and filed, magazines to read, and other projects and go. I have a pocket calendar that keeps up with our schedule and appointments. I try to keep snacks in the car. I also have learned to say no to outside commitments and only take on small things that do not require a lot of my time. Yes, for this season, I have given up some of me so that I am here most of the time and not busy with other things.

Yesterday, my 11 year old had a friend that spent the night. My graduate had 5 friends over, my 15 year old asked a friend over to spend the night. The 8&10 year old were in and out with neighborhood kids. I asked one of the girls what her mom was doing and told her to call her and tell her to come hang out with me. That led to her husband coming when he got off work. Then the intern for the summer working with the youth and another girl came by with a youth boy. We were in the middle of cooking hamburgers and hotdogs when all the others came. I just pulled out another package of hotdogs and have the box of premade angus burgers from Sams that I pulled out more burgers. I opened 3 cans of corn, some baked beans and chips. We made smores over the fire. Keeping food like the premade burgers and some can food helps to add to a meal to serve more. If I was making chili I would just add a can of beans and more sauce. If I had chicken I could have made noddles and a white sauce and just cut up the chicken that I had to serve more instead of giving each person a whole piece. While we were cooking in the kitchen one of the boys came in and was searching in my refrigerator. The lady here commented that he was pretty comfortable here. Then later when we were sitting at the table eating, one of the teens came in and got a bag of chips. He was hiding it behind his back and slowly easing outside with it pretending to steal it. I love that they are not scared to ask for what they want or just come get it.

I am learning to be more flexible. God has had to smush on me to make me more pliable and to be able to bend. Hopefully, by the time the 5th grows up I will be all smushy and easy going. I am becoming more comfortable in my own home. I remember when I wanted it all clean and everything put away before I would let anyone in. Now, I tell you to be careful not to trip over the shoes piled by the door and come on in. My bath vanity is still in the foyer. I still have no cabinet doors in the kitchen. We are a work in progress, both my house and me.