Stop.

Sometimes you just have to stop what you are doing.

Stop: Take a break from a normal Friday night to celebrate one awesome eight year old

Friday night our house was filled with love, laughter, and a lot of happy birthdays. Grandparents, Aunt, Uncle, Cousins and Cole’s best friend joined us for a cook out and cake. The house was a buzz with noise and energy. Chet was a wonderful baby on Friday night. While everyone ate, Chet quietly went to sleep upstairs. After the grandparents and the rest of the family filed out, Cole and Conner played with glow sticks and spun circles in the back yard. It was true childhood fun.

Stop: Change running plans mid-run to take care of a tired pup and run home with a smile on your face

Saturday morning went by in flash. After debating between yoga and running, my running shoes won. Alex and I headed out to tackle a few miles through our neighborhood. Two and half miles from our house, Alex laid down in the middle of the road. He was done. He literally stopped us in our tracks. Eight hours of doggy daycare on Friday plus a house full of guests Friday night really wore him out. After running two and a half miles he needed to stop what he was doing. We took it easy on the last three miles of our run, and I let him drink all of my water. Although the run wasn’t what I had expected, Alex stopping me on the run put a huge smile on my face. I think I smiled and laughed the whole way home. We had to be a sight to everybody who went by: Woman running while her dog slowly follows behind her. Maybe I should have picked yoga.

(Side note: my husband ran 4 miles after I got home. Someone is starting to love running!)

Stop: You can’t fight mother nature

Before we knew it, Saturday morning was gone and it was time to head to the baseball field. As soon as we arrived, it started to rain. The rain didn’t let up. While the boys hid in the dug out, I drove circles around the block to keep Chet from waking up. Because the rain didn’t stop, the baseball game did. The game was cancelled.

Stop: Take off the mom and dad hat for the night and remember what it’s like to be husband and wife

Saturday night was date night for mama and papa. We are trying to commit to having a date night once a month. To keep us accountable and to force us to take a break from our mom and dad roles, I bought tickets to see The Avett Brothers in concert. Surrounded by friends and great music, Christian and I were able to stop being a mom and a dad and we were just husband and wife.  Mission Accomplished. We had a great night.

Stop: Take inventory of what is going on around you

Sunday morning came too quickly. Although both boys treated us to an 8am wake-up, my body still wanted another hour or two of sleep. We had another full schedule to tackle. Our families were meeting for lunch at 11:30. I had plans to tackle another run at 1:00. Before I could even get into go mode, Chet was quick to remind me that he needed some mama time. He fussed all morning. He refused to nap. He wanted to be in my arms while I paced the house.

It is times like this morning that I am reminded to be present in my current moment. My baby needed mama time. Although we had obligations to other people, there is nothing more important to me that the development of my children. At almost four months, these cries for nurturing are ones I do not want to ignore. Christian and Cole meet my family for lunch. I cancelled my running plans. Chet and I laid on the floor talking. We laid next to each other the whole time they were gone. He needed that. I needed that. After such a busy weekend, mom and baby reconnected on the simplest level. He was so happy to just look into my eyes.

Sometimes you just have to stop what you are doing. Sometimes you need to break away from your normal routine to enjoy simple childhood happiness. Sometimes you need to stop trying so hard to run further or faster. Sometimes it feels better to go slow and smile. Sometimes you need to take a break from being a parent so you can enjoy being a spouse. Sometimes you need to lay on the floor and stare at your baby for a few minutes or a few hours. Sometimes the best way to take care of yourself and those around you is to simply stop what you are doing and enjoy the moment you are currently living. Sometimes you just have to stop what you are doing.