What's the perfect day?

I'm still on my quest to find out what I want in a day. This is all part of the bigger questions: what do I want my life to look like? What do I want my kids' lives to look like? What makes me happy? And what do I want my family to look like, act like, feel like, and be like? (Assuming I have any control...)

So what's in a day? Today we woke up a hair too early which taught me that 7 am is better than 6:30 am. Good to know at least one thing for sure.

Next, I spent 40 minutes prepping for what should have been a 5 minute departure to a new friend's house. I think the girls' sensed my first date nerves. I was trying to get them to clean and get their own clothes and pack snow suits and eat and sit quietly and not mess up my house. That basically turned them into crazy people. Also there was just too much snow outside. So now I know trying to get my kids to do what is easier for me to do on a snowy morning isn't a great idea.

We finally drove to Ridgway for our get together with an awesome new friend. Turns out this new friend really is awesome and makes me feel like I am home, which in this case "Home" is Utah -- in a good way. That is surprising to me on many levels. But we had a great time. Much joy. It's good to know that time with friends and getting to know a new friend really are part of the perfect day.

We were late for preschool, which was not great but better than missing out on meeting the second new friend that came just as we were leaving. 1 friend, awesome. 2 friends, amazing. But I know from the past that separate is usually better. Tim and I are one-on-one people. Little pieces of One on One time with kids and friends makes a day special.

Then, Lizza took a nap today as scheduled. Amen. And I got my mom break by working 3 hours. Perfect. Loved it. I love my job. It was nice to be back. A good nap and a little work are part of the perfect day.

Later, I picked up the kids and decided to stay home, get homework done, prep a snack, do the dishes, finish the laundry, listen to iTunes Radio, and do whatever comes next. From this I remember that always being on the go is similar to making muffins everyday -- it's such a fun idea -- but can ruin you.

So, I'm figuring it out. Everyday I would like to:

• Enjoy my husband
• Hang with a friend
• Clean only one thing
• Cook something that will last a few days to nourish us
• Teach my kids to help clean one thing
• Teach a principle or lesson about life
• Just sit and be there for them to come to me. ("Them" is usually my kids but it can be anyone who needs me or needs help or needs love)
• Work out
• Work a little
• Get my baby to nap
• Try to enjoy the snow/earth/weather while keeping it neatly outside
• Sing
• Pray
• Watch Grey's
• Smell no cat pee in my house
• Cuddle with my girls
• Plan something fun for today ... Or maybe just for tomorrow.*

*Fun things
Dinner party
Family trip
Shopping trip or really productive errands
Go to an event
Family hike or rock climbing
Learning to ski as a family
Camping
Play dates
Baking/ ice cream
Dance party
Anything with gingerbread
Anything with Christmas
All holidays
Helping a friend or neighbor
Painting something occasionally
Sports/dance/art classes for the kids


So, slowly I am getting some things figured out