Make The Waffles.

“Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, MOM!

Today I took that frustrating “Mom” moment and made a Mickey Mouse Waffle, plus 6 more.

This morning was one of those times when I was in the thick of a creative moment where all my thoughts and ideas were just flowing! The ideas were morphing into impactful content and I was just in that super focused space when a tiny little 4-year old voice became louder and more persistent to gain my attention.

At first, I was frustrated because when I am in my creative space I prefer to not be interrupted so that I can give 100% of my time and energy to my work. Instead of responding out of emotion, I paused for a moment and asked her to share what it was that she needed at this very moment.
Her response was this. “Mommy you need to make Mickey Mouse Waffles with me because no one makes them like you, mommy.”

I paused for a moment to think about what I was doing, what needed to be done and do I have the time to do this at the moment.

I responded that we could make waffles together in 15 minutes and took advantage of the opportunity to teach her, at a 4-year old level, about not interrupting and the importance of myself having time to work.
I then returned to my thoughts, outlined the process of where I wanted the article to head and I showed up in 15 minutes to make waffles with her.

Making Mickey Mouse waffles became more than just pausing my day to make breakfast with Roo. It was an unexpected moment that brought my family together. The teens came out of their lairs at the smell of cooking food and my toddlers rose to the occasion to decorate their Mickey Mouse waffle with sprinkles.
The biggest challenge that I face in working from home with 7 active kiddos is managing interruptions and preserving my creative thought flow. The best solution that I have found is to schedule a time to do what they are asking, reinforce the need for respected time to work and following through on my promise.