Well my patience had paid off. As you know Trevor gets to travel a lot for work. He has been to some awesome places...Moscow, Australia, Brazil, Paris. Well, I finally get to go along with him. He has a farm show in Hannover Germany next month. He said this would be a good trip to go along, would I want to go? My answer was of coarse, "Heck yes!" So next month we are off to Germany and then we are taking a few days in Rome. This will be the first trip we have taken without kids. Thanks to friends for taking my kids while we are gone. My kids are going to separate homes for the weekdays, they are really quite excited about that. I wonder if they will miss each other? Or will it be like getting to know each other again when we get home and be World War 3 in our house for a while.
Things to seem to keep going at hyper speed around here. I feel like we didn't even have a summer break. We moved my mom off the farm into a condo in town in June(which she loves). Trevor's travel has been quite steady. I started working 2 mornings a week cleaning at the College here town. Which quite honestly? I really enjoy. I haven't had a pay check in 10 years so my kids think it's pretty cool that I clean 26 toilets a morning. I am bracing for the impending Hockey and figure skating seasons. I do love watching my kids find such joy in their own activities, it does make for a very busy winter and by February I am really looking for the warmer weather. We are just finishing swimming lessons tonight.
We are really trying to balance our lives. It seems to be a little bit of a struggle. We wish we had the time and energy to do and help out with all we want. I am trying to be a good role model for my kids, to show them you need to keep a healthy balance between activities,family and individual health. I know for my self that I have to be careful, I don't handle stress well (just ask Trevor) and as I get older I am learning to stay the path with what I can handle and to know when to say no. The phrase " your kids are only young once" couldn't be more truthful than now. Independence is growing and getting earned every week by our kids. Which is awesome to see but also makes me wonder where has the time gone?!?
So to say that I am looking forward to travelling with Trevor is an understatement. Part of me really wishes I was taking the kids because I know they would love to see the Coliseum and the Pantheon, but I also know that as a couple we need some time to ourselves as well. We consider this more of a scoping out trip to take the kids in a few years. They will have a blast back home.
I do wish you all the best this upcoming winter season. Take some time for yourself and your families, I actually am looking forward to throwing a few snowballs with the kids!
2 comments:
Melanie,
I am beginning to belief that balance is an elusive quality that we spend a lot of time looking for. Diversity with the right amounts of personal, professional, fitness, spiritual and family time is the reality. Sometimes one aspect overtakes several other areas for a while (like when Trevor travels his professional life goes up but his fitness and family time decrease while your family time becomes all inclusive but your couple time diminishes) and we have to figure out what needs to move aside for a while Those that can handle a lot of pans in the fire (cooking a meal is actually a really good analogy) allows for an interesting and full life. Putting yourself (spiritual, emotional, physical) first is important so you have enough to fill up your own "food bank" which then makes it way easier to be a better parent.
This is just my two cents worth on the subject -- I've spent a lot of time looking for balance and this is the conclusions I have come to.
Bernie
I think you have it right on, and you're right, balance is elusive. It has taken a couple decades to learn some things, but I know my limits and know that if I don't look after myself everything/everyone else suffers. Thanks for your outlooks Bernie, I appreciate you so much!
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