Living Up to My Husband's Expectations

I'd say that I have pretty high expectations for myself and those around me.  I want things to go smoothly and I usually want things to go my way.  I have a daily to do list of things to get done.  It's no secret that I am not good at sitting and relaxing, but I'm happy to report that I'm better at it than I used to be.  I think being a mom has forced me to slow down a bit and enjoy the little moments.  Thanks, Olive.

Each day I have things that I try to accomplish during the day while my husband is at work.  I work hard to get that list done and feel good about my efforts most days.  I found myself stressing about getting enough done or accomplishing enough.  I was stressing myself out trying to live up to my own standards. They were

lengthy

detailed

complicated

ambitious

and demanding.

I decided to check in with my husband to see what things he'd like to see done around the house or what things he'd like for me to get done each day.  I figured it would be interesting to see what his expectations were and see how ours compared.  I really had no clue what his ideal to do list would be for me and it turns out that his expectations were

basic

realistic

attainable

flexible

and kind.

His list was short:

play with Olive and enjoy your time together during the day, enjoy some time together talking about our days and playing with Olive, have dinner together, eat a fun dessert, enjoy time together when Olive goes to bed and head to bed at the same time a few nights a week

It turns out he does not care if our bed gets made,

that every toy is picked up,

that the sink is dish free and the counters are sparkling,

that we might eat frozen pizza for dinner instead of a home cooked meal, 

that my blog is up to date, my inbox is empty or that my errands were done for the day.

I'd imagine that Olive's daily expectations would look something like this:
breakfast, snuggle, play with me, read to me, snacks, play some more, nap, take me outside, visit with friends, silly songs, be your little helper, play with dad, dinner, read and rock me to sleep.  All doable and mostly low key.

Looks like I should try to live up to 

my husband and daughter's expectations more often than my own.
I think we'd all be happier :)