Must, Should, Want

Projects. There are so many things, as a "stay at home" mom that I feel I must do, should do, or want to do. These are interesting catagories and I have noticed the items beneath them jumping from catagory to catagory on a fairly regular basis.

Most must dos are relatively obvious:
-feed the kids
-clothe the kids
-bathe the kids (in the summer I will say this is falling into more of a "should")
-take them to doctors appointments
-change diapers (again, in the summer this sometimes falls into a should...or a "did i do" catagory, as we are so busy)
-keep the house relatively clean (to most this may be considered a should, but for me, it's a must to function)

Should do: there are a lot more of these, most are items that sound like what a good mom would do, but is just not my forte. You can see there are excuse to avoid the "shoulds".
-Stimulate their little brains (how?..I am not sure)
-Create that scrapbook that was given to me when they were each born (I did the first year for each of them and I think that's pretty darn good)
-Spend one on one time with each of them (This I manage pretty well)
-Potty train Gavin (quickly moving to the must do catagory)
-Organize and eliminate toys (I also want to do this...but it's definately more of a should)
-Craft projects with the kids (so messy...it takes a lot to motivate me in this area)
-Make use of the memberships we have to the zoo and the museum (if anyone has spent time with Brayden they will understand why taking him anywhere is a major workout and a true test of beingon alert at all times)
-Making more homemade snacks (blueberry scones this morning...some of my friends would fall over dead if they knew...I like to cook & bake, but with the three boys around this morning, I proved again to myself why I prefer to buy)
-Take them to the dentist (I am not sure why the dentist is a "should" it just doesn't rank too high with me yet...considering my mouth cost over $20,000 it probably should be a must)
-Make creative meals and find ways to save money on groceries (every now and then, but man this can be time consuming)
-There are many more, but the list already makes me a tad depressed

Wants: These are things you either are doing or really want to, but just haven't made happen yet. Sometimes, quite close to a "should", but you aren't avoiding them becuase they are daunting or laborious, just because time and life sometimes get in the way!
-Daily Bible times (no excuses...I just haven't found a way to make Brayden sit)
-Working on recognizing letters and numbers with Gavin (so far, everything is an O or an E)
-Spend more time sewing (yes, I have taken up sewing and I like it...I am not ashamed)
-Go for more walks (I like the idea...it's getting it together and out the door that never seems to happen)
-Dance more (we actually do this a lot and my kids know it and love it, but more never hurt anyone)
-Write more thank yous and notes to those important to us
-Clean and organize the pit we call the "office" (i need at least a week without the kids for this)
-Get on top of and organize the things I have for the two areas I serve at church (also a must and should)
-Take care of the weeds in my garden and bring some flowers in the house
-Have friends over for dinner more often at the last minute
-Work on my own quiet times with the Lord (Definately a must and should as well)

It's a lot. Sometimes, I look at it and laugh....baking, sewing, and cooking....Sounds like a Martha wannabe. Mind you, if I had her staff of thousands, there wouldn't even be lists...I'd be done. Anyway...sometimes these items are moving back and forth from catagory to catagory daily. Must, should and wants can be hard for me to prioritize and balance. I'll measure myself against other moms who have the gift of baking or teaching and wonder why the scones aren't on the table more and my kid isn't spelling already.
I need to remind myself daily that God made me a certain way, to do the work he has for me. There are things I will always be good at and other things that are just always going to seem like a chore to me. I don't think I am ever going to enjoy meal planning and corresponding grocery lists...the end product I enjoy for sure! The process, not so much. To some other friends, it is so natural, they don't even have to pull out cookbooks or look in the cupboard to see if they have celery seed on hand (usless overpriced spice!). On the other hand, my my carpet is always vaacuumed and my kids can dance like nobody's business! And for today, I am okay with that.

"May the God of peace...equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" Hebrews 13:20-21