I parade my crew through the checkout line, glancing at the frazzled cashier.
"Oh, no worries. I don't go anywhere fast," I assure her. The cashier heaves a sigh of relief, even though the store is jam-packed with shoppers and the line is long behind me and mine.
It's a secret I learned many moons ago. This mama is WAY NICER when she isn't in a hurry. I don't like roughly wrangling children into car seats, hurriedly grabbing wipes to remove lunch remains from someone's face or sumo-wrestling a kiddo onto the potty so we can fly out the door with a coat dangling from one arm and a boot dropping on the stairs on the way down.
On any day we're leaving the homestead, I actually allot 15 full minutes for "loading." Loading is my term for the process of everyone taking potty breaks, finding and putting on shoes, putting on their coats, carrying all of our stuff to the van, strapping in and getting situated in the van. By the time I sprint back up the steps to get something I've forgotten or to double-check that both dogs are inside, it really does take about 15 minutes to "load." Hence, the 15 minutes loading allotment. My mind calculates travel time PLUS the loading allotment when I'm planning our day.
All of you that don't naturally roll this way are laughing at me right now. I laugh too because of how easily a five minute process turns into a fifteen minute ordeal, or more. However, I gotta say, I really like not yelling every time we leave the house. The peace level in our household vastly increased 10+ years ago when I realized that we don't go anywhere fast.
(a rare photo of the Rugged Mountain Man doing what he does best ~ being rugged.)
Expect it.
Plan for it.
Accept it.
The funny thing I noticed recently is that when something surprising comes up and we really do have to hustle, hustle, hustle, I have 100% cooperation from my crew.
They know, "This hustle is real. It's serious and our team needs to MOVE." I'm so thankful for that and I'm careful to tell them so. I thank my Blossoms often for their cooperation getting out the door. We are all on the same team and this kind of thing is household unity in action.
I wanted to encourage mamas of littles today. Yes, it does get easier eventually. Someday they will be able to strap themselves into their carseats. You won't have to take a diaper bag and oodles of gear to go somewhere. Until those days and even during those days, adopt the mindset, "We don't go anywhere fast." It will be easier for you to have a gentle touch and a softer voice. They'll remember your kind manner all of their days, because that's love in action.
Dominique
PS - I hope you enjoyed a few snapshots from the Blizzard of 2017, when no one went anywhere fast. Snowstorms are one of God's ways of slowing things down.
