(Trying to) Have Fun!!

Alot of this post comes from the following sources:
Professionalizing Motherhood by Jill Savage
Life as MOM blog (To Be More Joyful article)

I was really challenged by what I read in both of those places and wanted to post what I am trying to work on! I really want to have more fun with my kids and my family as whole. And just LAUGH more! I'm not sure what specific point it happened, but I either "grew up", got too busy, got to distracted with responsibilities, etc, etc, but I have stopped laughing like I used to! Please laugh along with me in understanding of the following points :-)

•Many times “fun” means “mess”. This is the first reality we have to come to grips with if we are going to have fun. If we don’t have the right perspective, this will feel like an interruption to our day. The right perspective, though, is that it is an ESSENTIAL part of our day. Having fun with our children is part of being a mom. And dealing with messes is sometimes a part of having fun.

•I am way too practical at times when I need to be spontaneous.

•Have the attitude of “sure, why not?”

•Life with kids is a life that is destined not to go as planned. You can react with anger or you can respond with grace, and even humor. Learning to respond with grace and humor is an act of replacing well-though-out plans with a bit of spontaneity.

•Cleaning your house [and, presumably, maintaining any other semblance of a normal life] while children are growing is like shoveling your driveway while it’s still snowing.

•If we don’t accept that life with children will include disorder, we will always be frustrated b/c we feel out of control. We can become obsessed with unrealistic expectations and allow them to steal our joy.

•There are some things I am trying to learn to accept (as a homemaker with more than 1 male under our roof):
1.It will always be noisy at our house.
2.The toilets and bathroom floors will rarely be spotless.
3.Physical activity is going to rule the day over quiet occupations.