When in doubt, get out.

Just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the sweet messages and tips on how to handle the hard days of motherhood! I really appreciated it! Today has already been so much better. I feel like the biggest thing I need to remember is to be patient with my kids, even though it can be so hard. And take a breath before I react!

I actually wrote this post last week but forgot to publish it. It kind of goes along with everything that’s been going on…

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Last week the kids were driving me crazy, for whatever reason. It was about 5 pm and we needed to get out. I didn’t know where, but I knew it needed to happen. So, I threw them in the car and we ran around the outlets for an hour. It cheered us all up and was exactly what the doctor ordered.

It reminded me of five years ago when I first went to NYC. TJ was interning there for the summer and I got to visit him with TJ’s parents for a few days. Each morning Eva would be so grumpy in the hotel room and we’d think it was going to be a hard day exploring the city with her. But surprisingly, once we got out, she was so happy! Sometimes that’s all our kids (and ourselves) need.

I feel like I’m usually pretty good about this, but when I get out of the habit or if the kids have been sick for awhile, it’s always hard to get back in the swing of it. TJ and I talk about this a lot, in fact. Outings with kids always seems like a lot of work, and oftentimes it really is tons of work. But it breaks up the monotonous part of life and we never regret it after it’s over!

When we moved to NYC, I was determined to get out immediately and get to know the city. I wanted to show Eva all that NYC had to offer and take advantage of that amazing city. We spent countless afternoons seeing children’s exhibits or going to new parks, even though Eva was young and probably wouldn’t remember it forever. But that was okay… it was just about getting out! If we would have stayed in our little apartment because it was inconvenient to push the stroller through the city or push our way into the subway, we would have gone crazy. So, for as much work as it was at times, it did so much for me mentally to just get out of the house!

Here in Utah, I’ve wanted to do the same thing with my kids. I want to show them all that Utah has to offer. I guess that’s why I started that Exploring Utah with Kids thing last summer. I wanted an excuse to get out of my house with my kids and try new hikes and parks. It’s so easy to get in the normal routine at home. Who needs the extra work, sometimes you think, right? But when we do get out, it’s so good for us and for our kids.

Then there are days where we just need to be lazy, and that’s okay. But when you need a change of pace, load up the kids and get out the house for an hour! Aaaaaand if you want a buddy, call me cause we’re always up for it!