My Bucket

I've come to realize that I've got a bucket. I fill my bucket with all of my good parenting intentions and plans. There are some goals and resources thrown in for good measure too. When my family is functioning at full capacity, ie, hubby is home and things are running smoothly, my bucket is in a constant state of renewal. Some days it dwindles, but each night it fills up again to start anew. When my hubby is away, it slowly drains. It never really fills back up again.

I'm at two weeks now. The Jiggley Daddy has been gone for two week now and my bucket feels like it's almost empty. I feel like I have to be picky about my 'good parenting intentions'. A prime example is that tomorrow is the kickoff to Westener Days. It starts off with a parade, which we've never missed, and is followed by 5 days of a fun fair. But my bucket is running low. I don't have it in me to wrangle both the kids, on my own (AGAIN) to the parade AND then wrangle them both at the fair. I'm tired of always doing things on my own. Ugh, I feel like such a bad mom that I want to skip the parade. But I feel equally as bad about not doing to the fair. I wish I had more in my bucket so I could give my kids all these fun experiences. I mean, I probably could... but I'd be miserable, which would make me frustrated with either one of them quicker, which would end up making the day a flop... and a flop in public, in the heat, usually means at least one of us in tears.

 

Do you ever feel like you have to pick and choose which fun things you'll do with your kids, because you just don't have it in you to do them all?