The Things We Do As Moms

So I'm sitting outside the Y nearly an hour before they open, just hoping I didn't get here too late to get Blake into the Tots program. Actually I've been here since 4:50 or so. When I arrived, there were already 15 to 20 people in line. Now it's wrapped around the building. I find myself eyeballing those in front of me. Are they here for Tots too? How many of them are after the four remaining Wednesday morning slots. Seriously, you'd think I was camping out for a Black Friday laptop deal. If it weren't so dark, I'd take a picture. It's crazy ridiculous what we'll do to make sure our kids get into a preschool program, a swim lesson or a sports class. Absolutely ridiculous. How insane do you have to be to roll out of bed at 4:20 and come sit on a curb at 5 in the morning just to get your child into a Y program? At least I'm not the only one. The parking lot is almost full now. Wow, after all this, I have to say I'll slip into depression if I don't get the spots I want. Crazy, right? If only it weren't such an awesome program, or if there were a comparable preschool with the same pricing plan? But there's not. This is it. There is no plan B.

I think the fact that I'm a work at home mom now adds to my desire to get him in. I'm sure it does. I woke up before my alarm went off because I was so paranoid that I wouldn't wake up to it. It there a 12 step program for overzealous moms?

Either way, it will all be over in about 30 minutes. I'll let you know how it goes.

Overwhelmed

I bet you're thinking I'm going negative with this blog.  The title would surely imply that, right?  Sure, there are times that I am completely overwhelmed.  How could I possibly add yet another thing to my plate, much less a new business venture?  Hillary, there literally is no time left.  You run a mom's group.  You're the Communications Director for a local campaign.  You're part of a new church plant. You sit on the board of your neighborhood association.  You're running for Central Committee.  Oh yeah, and you have three kids five and under, a husband, a dog, a house, friends and family. Don't worry, I get it, but I've always felt like the Lord has been leading me and somehow they're all connected.  I've talking about the "Spaghetti Junction" that is my life.

Truth is: I'm most productive when I'm so busy I can't breathe.  On days that I have little on my calendar, I literally would sit and veg the entire day, translating into poor parenting, cranky wife, lousy housekeeper, and completely useless individual.  The hills of chaos keeps me going, and I believe my Maker is clearly aware of that.  Do I have to learn boundaries?  Absolutely!  Do I have to communicate better with my husband?  Clearly!  The point is that I'm overwhelmed and still completely filled with joy at the same time.

As Betsy and I venture down this road into the world of business, I'm constantly reminded that this is not my business.  It belongs to God, period.  He's made that clear from the beginning.  The fact that we've only been in business for a few weeks says it all.  Currently, we have six clients, and two more on the way in.  Everyday, we're making new connections, exploring the realms of our abilities, and watching businesses and organizations build foundations that will help them succeed.  It really is such an exciting opportunity and we're loving every second of it. 

I might have to fit work into 10 minutes here and there, an hour or so at naptime, and sometimes into the wee hours of the night, but what we're doing matters to the companies and candidates we work with.  There is such a need for what we do.  We're seeing that small business owners know that they need to market, but lack the skills to do so and the finances to pay a large firm.  We offer cost effective solutions that will help establish the foundation and facilitate the best kind of marketing, word of mouth. 

Overwhelmed!  Not only by the sheer amount of stuff on my plate, but more so by God's goodness.  For some reason, he has chosen to bless this venture.  He clearly has a plan. Our goal is to not only put him at the center, but to let him roam throughout every facet of what we do.  If you're a praying person, you can pray to that end with us.