I forgot how to be fun.

It seems like this time every school year I find myself in a rut. Every single day feels the same. Get up, drink tea, read my Bible, wake the kids, make breakfast, brush my teeth, do school/laundry/dishes/lunch, start dinner, eat dinner, do dishes, give baths, clean up more messes, fall asleep while the 2-year-old is crawling all over my face. And repeat. Throw in a few trips to the grocery store, ballet lessons, baseball practice and church and there you have it. Kinda mundane. Sometimes I feel like we are crazy busy, but we aren't really doing anything or going anywhere.

 One thing that has been creeping into my thoughts lately is that I haven't been a very fun mom lately. All business and no play, and that leads to a burned out mama and frustrated kids. Some of my most fun, favorite memories are the ones just doing simple things. Like sifting through the button box with my grandmother. Taking long walks down Highway 17 between Elgin and Fletcher picking up aluminum cans. Playing Wonder Woman and Super Man with my little brother in the backyard. Making mud pies, playing office. Games of Skip-Bo and Uno. So this week I changed things up a little bit. We have spent a lot of time digging in the dirt. Pulling up weeds, planting Sunflowers and Shasta Daisies. There isn't anything else that make me feel as good as digging in the dirt, especially with my kids. 

As our day came to an end today I walked into the kitchen to find a sink full of dishes waiting on me. I invited my little 3 to pull up a chair to help wash and rinse. I have such sweet memories of washing dishes next to my grandmothers (and some not so sweet memories of sharing the duty with my younger brother!). When the dishes were done and all the little hands were dry, my 9-year-old smiled and said, "That was fun!" 

It's the simple things, ya'll. 

So if you are finding yourself in the same place I was, I would encourage you to find something to do that will help slow you down and have FUN! 

**Disclaimer**
Washing dishes by hand and digging in the dirt will NOT, I repeat will NOT be seen as a "fun" thing to do by your teenagers. This will only work for kids under 10 or 11. For teens.....I got nuthin'.