Finding Joy in the Ordinary

Some days it takes all your energy to get out of bed, let alone make the bed, make breakfast, clean, dishes, laundry, etc. Other days all the daily tasks seem like blessings. How's that possible? Perspective, mood, a good nights sleep?

The past couple days have been completely ordinary and perfectly wonderful. After a couple weeks with lots of travel and visiting family and friends, all of which I loved, I am very grateful to be back home and in a routine.

I never thought I'd appreciate all the steps in making meals, helping with homework, putting laundry away,cleaning, and organizing things. I'm so grateful for the opportunity that I've been given to do all these things.

I've been trying to find joy daily with some of my newly established routines. I started writing in my journal each morning and evening. I start by listing the things I'm grateful for, even the mundane like making a new recipe that the whole family enjoyed! I also list prayer intentions for myself and others as well as what goal(s) I have for the day.

As well as journaling, I have been waking up earlier to start my new morning routine. I know this doesn't sound joyful, especially since I LOVE sleeping, but I have found great happiness in waking up, journaling, and then making breakfast for my family as well as preparing their lunches. Honestly not too long ago I found this idea as completely foreign and tedious. I was approaching the idea the same way that I used to when I was working full time, as another task on my endless list of tasks for each day. Now I see it as an opportunity to help lesson the load of all three of my "boys'" daily jobs.

I have found elation in organizing the game closet, vacuuming, sweeping, playing with playdough and painting with Natalie, and enjoying the 50 degree weather by taking down Christmas lights and cleaning up the garbage around the yard. How? I see the finished product, even if it's fleeting, I see the happiness in my daughter's eyes when painting or the thank yous from the boys when I make them eggs in the morning.

I aim to add meditation and more blogging into my routine. I also hope that I don't lose my ability to see the joy in the daily things and that my new routines will contribute to my success.

Life can be difficult, tedious, and feel like a constant struggle to complete tasks. We have to make an effort to see the joy in those daily tasks so that, one day, we see the joy effortlessly in all we do. The work is hard, the reward is great.

Kitchen Confessions

I'll admit it, I hated cooking, baking, and all things related to the kitchen (other than eating). I found recipes, grocery shopping, and prepping extremely tedious and unrewarding. I must also confess that my children ate many meals of mac-n-cheese, spaghetti, chicken nuggets, or corn dogs. After teaching all day, I really had no energy to think about making a meal. Maybe if I had gotten the knack for creating meals before beginning my career or perhaps before having children, I wouldn't have found it to be such a chore. 

At any rate, over the past couple months I can proudly say that I have only made the aforementioned meals a couple times. Each month I spend in this new domestic lifestyle, the more I find enjoyment in tasks that I used to consider mundane and/or frustrating. Not every task, mind you, I still can't find joy in cleaning toilets!

So this new domestic infatuation has lead me to a new lifelong friendship... I'm in LOVE with my Kitchen Aid Mixer. I have honestly had this gorgeous contraption for nearly 14 years and only used it for large family gatherings and only a handful of times. I have neglected to utilize this fantastic device to its full potential. Well no more, I will be beating and mixing things up like Martha Stuart on one of her Christmas baking specials!

I have another confession, since I didn't do much cooking and baking, I never had much need to go to the cook and bake ware aisles at the store. The other day I meandered into the aisles in search for a bigger pan for baking cookies. I was in awe at all the contraptions, tools, pans, etc. that I found. In the past, I would have seen most of these items as useless in my efforts to make a nice spaghetti meal. Now, however, after making several homemade meals and treats, I was astonished at all these cool things that would be so much more efficient than my current, meager kitchen supplies.

There is a purpose to me writing about my kitchen antics, beyond being silly. The newly exposed fondness of cooking & baking has allowed me to discover joy in the small and ordinary. Since moving and changing my lifestyle, I have fiercely searched for joy and pride. I have always thought that they come from accomplishing big goals, being promoted, executing an amazing lesson  (in the classroom), or getting kudos from a boss/principal or parent of a student. I have now found that joy can grow from within as I push my limitations and decide that I CAN create meals/ food for my family out of a bunch of ingredients (opposed to my old method of reheating pre-made foods). I am filled with pride when my family asks for seconds, tell me how much they love what I have made, or ask me to make a certain meal again.

I need to stop waiting and searching for some magnificent opportunity to give my life meaning & purpose. Instead I will find joy in the little things and count my blessings!