Groundhog Day


In the 1993 film, Groundhog Day, Bill Murray played Phil Connors, a weatherman who woke up on Feb 2nd several days in a row. He seemed to be trapped in the same day until he did the correct set of things to get out of the cycle. As if Fate wanted to push him in the right direction so that he could form attachments and friendships that were missing in his life. 
Sometimes I feel like Phil. With 2 small children to care for daily, I am in my own Groundhog Day of sorts. This one isn’t caused by Fate to get me to do something different. This is formed and directed by nature and necessity.
Like Phil, I feel trapped in the same long day. Also like Phil, I realize that I can do something different to change the monotonous tone of my day. A shopping trip here, a playdate there, the occasional trip to the beach or a pool. But with the demands of meals, naptimes, and the impacts of the schedule changes on these little bodies, there are limitations to those changes. Even if there wasn’t, a tight budget requires simplicity and imagination. Added to that is the difference in ability and activity between a one and three year old and my options remain limited.
While blogs and pep talks help- they can only do so much. I’m reminded daily that the days are long but the years are short. That I am wasting away precious moments when I wash dishes and fret about housework, while my children are growing before my very eyes. But the admonitions to build as many memories as possible won’t wash the dishes that are needed for the next meal. The Pinterest ideas for the activities that are supposed to save the day won’t last more than 5 minutes of entertainment for these busy boys. And I won’t feel anymore super or any less guilty by pretending that this staying at home with the kids thing isn’t long hard work.
Despite that I want to say that things are way better than they were when I started staying home with my kids. I continue to work hard to build a structure to our days. I’ve implemented reading time and flashcards time with my three year old. He’s learning his lowercase letter recognition. I’m trying to spend more one on one time with my one year old so he gets some unadulterated Mommy time as well. I’ve been working hard to make our days successful and meaningful. To fill our days with joy and fun and laughs and learning. More playtime and less TV time. And whatever happens in the future, I know I won’t trade this time for anything in the world.

But that doesn’t change the reality that most days are the same. Feeding times, changing diapers, cooking meals, cleaning floors, implementing time outs, refereeing fights, pep talks, protecting them from getting hurt, endless sink loads of dishes, constant laundry loads awaiting stain removal…. When I’m tired, weary, and worn out which the result of most days, I know that I will wake up tomorrow and do it all over again. And again. And again. And again. My own Groundhog Day.
So for all you Mommas out there living in your own Groundhog Day, hang in there.  We’ll make it through somehow. There is indeed a February 3rd awaiting us in the future. 

 



FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT:  Quotes from the movie Groundhog Day

Phil: What if there isn’t a tomorrow? There wasn’t one today.

Phil: What would you do if you were stuck in one place and everyday was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?
Ralph: That about sums it up for me.

Phil Connors: This is pitiful, a thousand people freezing their butts off. Waiting to worship a rat. What a hype. Groundhog Day used to mean something in this town. They used to pull the hog out and they used to eat it. You hypocrites, all of you!

Phil: I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster, drank piña coladas. At sunset, we made love like sea otters. [Ralph and Gus snort]
Phil: *That* was a pretty good day. Why couldn't I get *that* day over, and over, and over...
 

Rita: This day was perfect. You couldn't have planned a day like this.
Phil: Well, you can. It just takes an awful lot of work.

 

 

 

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