Yesterday I tried to cram in all of the tasks that should’ve been done over the long weekend: Sort the kids clothes (yes, I’m still doing that dreadful chore), clean out the garage, load after load of laundry, clean the refrigerator, and complete the school forms that have been on my counter for a week, not to mention the work I want to do.
Instead of doing those tasks over the weekend, we . . .
Played tennis with the girls.
Went to the park with my Dad.
Hosted a neighborhood playdate with all the fixings including water balloons, a slip-n-slide, and popsicles.
Went letterboxing with our girls and their friends.
Last night when I was kicking myself for perpetuating the vicious cycle, I had a thought that put everything into perspective for me . . .
The to do list will always be around, but my kids won’t be.
While the thought of my kids leaving home normally brings me to tears, this time it didn’t. It made me feel better knowing that the time I spent playing with my girls all weekend was time well spent. Yes, I’m paying for it now, but it was worth the price because it won’t be too long before they don’t want to hang out with mommy and daddy. And this appropriate developmental phase happens years before they leave home. 
So the next time I’m stressed because I spent more time playing than working, I’m going to remind myself that regardless of how many things are left on my to do list, it was time well spent.