Been busy catching up from being out of town for work and a big meeting today, so a little late on my ideal publishing schedule this week.

So, I wanted to share some stuff that happened this weekend that hopefully hits you the way it did me.

First, I had a really great return home and weekend. I’ll be honest – as with most times you’re coming home from being away there is a ton to catch up on. But after my work conference I was actually excited to get back to some of the day-to-day that can sometimes get me down or feel like a chore since I feel like I got a bit of an energy reboot from being surrounded by other people in my field who showed a lot of the progress that’s possible. I actually spent some extra time catching up on work stuff and not just because I had a deadline, but because I actually was excited to keep things moving forward, which has been missing in recent months.

Second, I got a ton of catch up housework done. Had to do tons of cleaning and putting things aright after I was away and the mice were out to play, as it were. Now, while cleaning is still a chore that has to be done, I actually quite enjoy it. I’ve always been a bit of a neatnik, so there’s always something satisfying about putting things in order and getting everything clean for me, though I admit that’s not true for everyone.

Third, after cleaning (part of which my daughter participated in until she got too bored – she sometimes will help me for pretty long stretches, though!) I had blocked off some time to spend with her one-on-one. My original thought had been to play some games, read some books, do some activities – whatever she wanted to do, basically. What resulted was an epic dance party.

She’s in her third year of dance class – just some basic ballet and tap stuff for kids her age at a local studio. She loves it, and comes by it honestly since both Michael and I are performers and both dance as well as part of that extracurricular. I honestly can’t even remember how the dance party started, since it wasn’t at all on the list of activities I was planning to offer her for her “dealer’s choice” time. But somehow we put on some music and started dancing, and then it turned into a taking turns dance off where she would pick a song she wanted to dance to and dance for me, and then asked me to dance for her.

It. Was. Amazing. Just so much spontaneity and joy (and sweat) that poured out in that hour of just taking turns playing songs we liked and having fun making up dances to them.

As an admitted Type A, control-freak planner, I think it says something that the highlight of my week wasn’t the conference that rejuiced me professionally; or, the actions and momentum I carried from it back into work at home; or, the usual joy I get out of neatening and tidying things in my environment (read: reasserting control over chaos). Most certainly, the highlight was not the specific activities I had planned to offer for our special daddy/daughter time. It was the absolutely impromptu sharing of music and dance that will stay with me not only now but probably for years to come.

For those of us meditating to calm the control-freak nature of our personalities – the tendency to overreact to little things, of which there are many when you are parenting younglings – these moments are a great reminder. It’s being there. It’s being in the moment and going with it and not always trying to make it what you planned it to be. Sometimes it’s just letting life and your experience with your children flow naturally that reconnects you with the sheer joy of parenting.