Survival mode

  Sitting once again on the couch at 4:58 am because our cat nuzzled oh so firmly to wake me so he could have his, "Wet food." Someone forgot to shut the bedroom door last night. 

I sit here thinking of the day ahead. I have all these plans especially when I wake so early. I need to dye my hair, yes I'm 43 and I cannot stand grey hair lol. We need to go grocery shopping and fix my sons broken glasses. I could go on and on, but as a mom with ADHD I have to ground myself on what's possible in one short day.

  It's supposed to be beautiful out today and tomorrow my 3 boys have 3 back to back tackle football games so today is family day. Love my football sundays, but they are tiresome for all of us.

  I'm thinking apple picking 🍎. We planned strawberries and blueberries this summer but it slid past us once again in the midst of other summer activities in New England. 

  There's something special about apple picking. Don't get me wrong my favorite season will ALWAYS be summer, but the smell of pumpkins grown, apple cider, hay from the hay rides and apple crisp after we get home is priceless. I am well aware as a mom of 3 boys, ages 14, 12 and 9 that it will not be a day without fighting, aggravation and complaining at times but it will also let us continue with memories. My middle son is the one who most hangs on to these traditions and I live it. "Mom it's September we have to go apple picking and make candy apples. Apple seasons will be over soon we can't miss this one!". He's so unbelievably right!

 The hair dye, optometrist, groceries (team mom football duties) and whatever else can wait, we need to pick apples! We need to laugh, jump on shoulders to grab the highest ones. We need apple crisp, and candy apples. We need to pick so many we have to donate the left overs lol. We need to smell the fresh air, remember our food comes from nature and the purity of local farmers. 

  Too often as parents we get stuck in, "Survival mode." The survival mode I'm talking about is the day to day running around, errands, lunches, sports, appointments, games, car pools and the list goes on. Survival mode means we have a tough time sitting back and being in the moment because society today is so fast paced you feel if you sit back you'll fall behind. You feel your the kids will miss out on something and not be up with the others in their overly completive world.  It's almost as of if you're watching life through a lens of a camera, and not your own eyes. 

  One day we will realize this survival mode robbed us of great memories, quality family time and teaching our kids that life is not meant to be rushed, but to be lived.   So today as I finish my coffee I decide to EXIT survival mode and see what our day brings us. Surely there will be apples involved, laughter and some arguing over who saw the biggest pumpkin first, but memories will be made and cherished. So let's all consciously exit the mode of survival!!