The Sampler – I’ll Be Off In A Minute …

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5 Minutes for Mom brings you exclusive samplings from the best mom blogs in our weekly column, The Sampler, hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom contributing editor Shera, from A Frog In My Soup.

Tiffanie Lloyd is a mom who wears many hats in life. She blogs at Our Life about faith and life as a stay-at-home/work-at-home, homeschooling wife and mom of three (almost four)! What other things does Tiffanie love? “I like music, writing, the outdoors, watching my kidos when they sleep and the smell of hubby’s burgers on the grill.” Tiffanie is also a volunteer Area Director for her local Young Life division. So as you can imagine, there is much to find at her blog on a regular basis!!

I’ll Be Off In A Minute …

I do love me a good chick flick. Hubby and I watched Definitely-Maybe the other afternoon while the boys napped (or pretended to at least). Super cute movie and yes, my shirt was drenched in smeared mascara and snot by the time it was over. Concluding the film, hubby gave me a big hug, and I sniffled some more… it was one of those – I have no idea why I’m still crying, I’ll try to hide it and hold my breath while he’s hugging me so he can’t tell – moments. I’m sure he knew. He always does. Plus it’s not like I’m uber emotional or anything. 😉

Hubby really like movies. And when I say really, I mean REALLY! He’s more than your average movie buff. He especially gets into independent films (let me just say that I have endured some rather interesting flicks). We went out on a date the other night, the first in way-to-darn-long, and of course, went to the movies. We have something like 8 movies to watch right now – he borrowed a few “classics” from a guy at the office, he stopped and rented a couple during a run to the grocery store and we’ve got our Netflix DVD’s too. Hubby really DOES like movies.

Movie watchin isn’t so much my thing. I watch maybe 25% of the movies that enter our domain. And I’m usually working on something else simultaneously. I prefer staring into the screen of my Mac. Working, replying to emails, networking, writing or roaming the blogosphere. Blogging Chicks has a fabulous comic strip that reads “What’s a blogging chick?” “A woman who spends her nights saying I’ll be off in a minute”.

So, movies and the internet. Our addictions could be worse. Though it did not take long to discover that neglecting the kids isn’t such a good idea.

Every once in a while I’ll get a little carried away and lost somewhere in the land of my computer screen. Every once in a while hubby throws himself a movie marathon breaking only to use the bathroom and raid the kitchen for a snack. The kids, well they’re off somewhere doing something naughty that we will later find and realize that we had left them unattended and forced to conjure up their own entertainment.

While one afternoon of resting and moving watching could easily be justified after a long and laborious week, and my time spent on the web could be considered legitimate working hours, the issue here is priorities. At church a few Sunday’s ago we discussed this exact topic and it was a much needed reminder. When my priorities get out of whack, so to does just about every facet of my life. Kiddos misbehave. House looks like a barn. Hubby and I lose touch.

I don’t know about you other mommy’s out there, but it can at times get difficult keeping my priorities in line. Sometimes they sneak away unnoticed and other times I toss them over the bridge myself. It takes work to keep life balanced. Effort to keep my priorities straight. It takes sacrifice, patience and a good schedule. Time with God comes first. Mommy and Daddy time can not be neglected. If I put off the housework, it probably won’t get done. We have to do our best to stay on top of our homeschooling schedule, cause it’s hard to get back into routine once it’s broken. If I stay up too late, honestly, I’m just a crab. And on those unfortunate days when nap time ends WAY to early, so does my time on the computer.

There is incentive to putting fourth the effort. Things operate a ton more smoothly when I run my life and home with a healthy balance. I enjoy my children and they thrive on the positive interaction, the structure and the time we spend together. Hubby and I enjoy each other (as opposed to being COMPLETELY annoyed by every dirty sock and unclosed cupboard) and seek to spend time together. And things get accomplished. I am fulfilled. I feel successful and confidant as mommy, wife, homemaker, teacher, small business owner… (no wonder it it gets difficult).

~ Written by Tiffanie Lloyd of Our Life.

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This column is Hosted by Shera. She can be found at A Frog In My Soup