It's all relative...

Last week Steve and I had a meeting with our financial planner.  We had already rescheduled twice due to the stomach bug (first our family and then his), so we were pretty committed to following through with this meeting.  The meeting was scheduled for 5 and Steve’s dad (aka, papa) was coming over to entertain the girls until the meeting ended.  The hope was that we would could get through the meeting with minimal interruptions from the girls.  The reality was that I knew that this was a disaster in the making for several reasons.  The meeting was right smack in the middle of dinner time and the girls would be cranky, our house is tiny and there was no way that we were going to meet with the financial planner without being interrupted, and I wasn’t sure how the whole diaper situation was going to play itself out (since that is not papa’s specialty).   So, if we could get through the meeting without any meltdowns, injuries, or pee on the floor, I would be happy. 

So, just as I expected the house was in a complete state of chaos for the entire meeting.  The girls were running around us and playing very loudly, making it very hard to discuss anything (never mind our financial matters).  And, to top it off, at one point during the meeting Mia actually called me in her room because she had taken off her diaper which she had pooped in and needed my help to get her cleaned up (amazingly this did not result in the pee or poop on her floor).  It was nuts!  I literally had one ear listening in on the meeting and the other listening in on the girls.   Up and down.  Up and down.  Grab a bottle, talk about 529 options.  Change a diaper, discuss our budget worksheet.  Change the girls in to pjs, talk about converting our monthly overage in to some type of savings plan.  Get teeth brushed, talk about Roth IRAs.  My head was spinning.  But, I got through it and got the girls in bed...and I did it all without any meltdowns, injuries, or pee on the floor as I had hoped.  Success!!  (For me, anyway.  However, I am sure that my financial planner left wanting to fire us and never, ever wanting another baby.)

Everything, including what people consider success, is relative.  What another parent might look at as a completely chaotic situation, I looked at as a great success.  I recognized what was out of my control and didn’t have any expectations about those things.  The reality of my situation is that I have two really little kids.  I can’t predict their behavior and I certainly can’t control their moods.  Sometimes things go smoothly and sometimes they don’t go at all.  I just never know.  So, I have learned the only way for me to enjoy life is to have absolutely no expectations about how it will work out.  Setting expectations about things you have absolutely no control over (i.e., two very strong-willed toddlers) is a waste of my time and a guarantee that I will end up disappointed.   So I have made a habit of just letting things plays themselves out rather than assuming that they will go perfectly and being disappointed when they don't.  This seems to help me take all of the missteps in stride.

I have heard other people say that if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans...I say if you want to make God laugh, tell Him about the time your two year old handed you poop (sans diaper).

Until next time…