Finding balance

I struggle to find a good balance in my life. Some days I feel like I am in the eye of a tornado watching everything in my life spin around me and there's nothing I can do to get it to slow down, even though I'm in the middle of it yelling, "Now wait just a minute!" If I don't exercise first thing in the morning then I just don't do it at all. But if I exercise in the morning then I don't have time for scripture study. And if I don't study my scriptures first thing in the morning then it is very hard for me to do it later. And I get grumpy if I don't exercise and I'm less patient if I don't study my scriptures.......geez. And when I don't do both of them I get in a funk. Yes, a funk. And I'm there now. Miles is still not sleeping great and these dark winter mornings are not very conducive to my getting up at 6am. My time management skills are being tested to the max and I am not very good at it (yet!) With all the things that fill up my days I am learning to MAKE time for the important things. But it's a hard lesson to learn. And an even harder one to follow through on.
BTW: This post was not written in a sad/depressed/grouchy state. I am truly happy with my life - and very blessed. I just have a lot to learn! (For anyone who doesn't know what BTW means - it means by the way - I feel cooler - and younger! - when I use texting language!)

So perceptive

Earlier today I was cleaning the house while the kids were all playing in their room. Brian was in the office studying (he has a big test on Monday in Stats). Then Miles got cranky and hungry and would only crawl after me pitifully and hang his head and cry when I walked away. Then he'd start pulling himself up hanging on to my pants and cry. Then Nora got upset about something and started throwing a fit. I put Nora on her bed until she could stop throwing a fit, I picked up Miles and took him to my bedroom to feed him. I sat on the bed and Sophie walked in and sat down on the edge of my bed and said to me, "Sometimes it's hard, isn't it? With three kids to take care of and a husband who always has homework to do - sometimes it's just hard." I almost burst out laughing because all the sudden I felt like I was talking to my neighbor and not my five year old daughter! But she would have felt bad if I had laughed so I just said, "Yep honey, sometimes it is."

Not ready

Here are a few conversations I've had with Sophie recently that I am NOT ready for.

On our way home from school:

Sophie: "Mom - me, Somer and Ellie are like the most popularist girls in the class - NO, in the SCHOOL!"

Me: too shocked to respond

Sophie: "Everyone wants to be our friends at school and it makes me feel like I'm the boss of everyone, even though I'm not!"

Me: (starting to recover) Well, that's good that you have a lot of friends. But you have to remember to make sure you are nice to everyone who wants to be your friend and be careful not to hurt anyone's feelings.

Sophie: "I know, I am."

Yikes. I am sure she learned the word "popular" from her friend Somer's big sister, who plays with them at recess. She's in 3rd grade so I am not thrilled about it. She's a nice girl but I don't want my kindergartner to grow up too much.

At home getting ready for school:

Sophie: "Mom, Jayden told me that even two mommies can marry each other!"

Me: Ummm....... really? Oh, look at the time we need to hurry so you're not late!
(I'm just not ready to address that quite yet. And I think she's too young.)