Voluntary Happiness (?)

It's been a while (again) but I'm going to write more often...starting now! Thanks to my mommy blogger friends for setting good examples. I'm probably going to write more about being a mom and less about volunteering because that's what makes me happy!

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A few times recently, I've complained that I don't have any "me" time and that I really need a break. This led to a pretty interesting conversation with Mike about how I actually do have "me" time, but I'm using it all up doing other things -- for example, organizing the fair, coordinating playgroups for the MOMS Club, and serving on my condo board. After all of those things are done, I'm left with very little time that I can call my own. But, as Mike pointed out, I'm choosing to spend my time doing those volunteer activities so can I really complain? To be completely honest, I hadn't thought of it that way before. I treat the fair like it's a job. I do everything else because I want to be involved in my local community. But is doing those things making me happy? Should I be spending my time doing other things if happiness is my ultimate goal? The honest answers (no and yes, respectively) weren't really what I was expecting, but have given me a lot to think about. Since our conversation, I've deleted all email accounts associated with volunteering from my phone and stopped doing administrative-type volunteer stuff on the weekends. Now I have a few more minutes to flip through the newspaper or cook a real lunch while Emily is sleeping. I can be a better mom because I'm slowly making more time for myself. And I'm adding to the list of things that really do make me happy:

- big baby (toddler!) smiles right after a good nap

- the sound of little hands and feet on the wood floor

- finger nails that are painted a pretty color (for me and Emily, thanks to Piggy Paint!)

- clean hair that isn't pulled back in a messy bun 

- keeping the house clean, having time to mess it up, and then getting it all organized again

- cuddles with my sweet girl, even if they are short-lived!

While my current volunteer obligations are here to stay for now, I'm working on finding a better balance so that I can find some level of happiness in everything I do. That's something to be very happy about!