Best Laid Plans

Last Sunday night, as I looked toward the final week before Reed leaves, I had plans in my head. Plans I ALMOST wrote down but have learned better in my years as a parent.

In my head, the week looked like this:

Monday: Normal day, take Nate to gym, hopeful for a nap overlap, one item of prep, etc.
Tuesday: Normal day, Josh has drums, hopeful for a nap overlap, one item of prep, etc.
Wednesday: Normal day, Josh has hockey, hopeful for a nap overlap, one item of prep, etc.
Thursday: Normal day, Nate has preschool, hopeful for a nap overlap, one item of prep, etc.
Friday: Beautiful day off to mentally/emotionally prepare myself for husband being gone for 3 weeks
Saturday: ice skating and lunch out with my oldest
Sunday: morning to myself while baby naps and older two go to church with husband

This is what the week actually looked like:

Monday: Normal day!
Tuesday: Woke up with terrible tooth pain, was a grumpy mess, understood my angry teething toddler better.
Wednesday: Didn't sleep the night before, called dentist first thing, husband has to stay home from work because toddler in full violent meltdown mode and mama needs emergency dentist appointment
Thursday: Husband has to stay home again so mama can go get a root canal, find out husband has another interview offer and will be gone an extra two days.
Friday: Husband can't take any more work off so day off disappears. No nap overlap to top it off.
Saturday: ice skating and lunch out with my oldest.
Sunday: morning holding hysterical infant with 103 degree fever while husband takes two older to church.

SO.

The best laid plans, right?

A week ago, when pondering what I had HOPED for the week and then seeing what actually happened, I probably would have dissolved in tears.

But God has been in it with me this week. And as much as I know the enemy wants me to be angry, to feel sorry for myself that I didn't get what I need, I'm not going to do it.

I say no.

So instead of feeling angry and sad and mopey this morning, I put on my best mama snuggle face and let my infant sleep on me for two hours instead of blogging and reading and drinking coffee and being alone like I had planned. And I treasured it. Because, really, how many times in his little life is he really going to do that? I sniffed his curly mohawk and kissed his fevered brow and crooned sweet words to my ailing little boy. And was grateful we had a quiet, warm house in the midst of negative ridiculous weather in which to take shelter and just be. The laundry can wait. It's ok if Reed leaves for his interviews and the house looks like a tornado went through. It really is. It's alright if I didn't get a chance to make some meals for the week.

Choosing today to change my response from anger to opportunity when the best laid plans go awry.