FOMOBOK

I had FOMOBOK this week. It lasted about 3 days. No one else in my family had it thankfully!

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a common fear many of us endure until we either get over it or catch up on YouTube.com.

Fear of missing out because of kids (FOMOBOK) is not something that we easily “get over” nor can we simply find the “missed” on the internet. Sometimes what we’ve missed can never be relived. I missed seeing a church friend in a stage production of White Christmas last month (was at urgent care w XS) and the whole family was there. Both grandparents too since it was a Christmas gift…

Or all the classes and trips to the Y I had to cancel due to a 100.5 fever. Working out at home is just not the same. Or the birthday parties, dinner invites or trips to see family.

Well thankfully this week, YouTube healed my FOMOBOK!

Our church community group (think small group Bible study group) was having a SuperBowl party and our kids were all invited. I ate my chili ASAP and headed to the TV as soon as I felt I could without being rude (for the record I was the first one down, even before the guys!)

I got to see about a quarter (hallelujah!) while two of the men (one was Brian) cleaned up with the hostess and although we saw the game, we missed every commercial. We turned on AFHV* instead to avoid the boobs, scary wolves about to eat the dog and the machine guns, in between the drowning children and more boobs.

Oh well, at least I got to see the game! Until XS peed himself twice and then had a meltdown over something and I realized at halftime we needed to put some very tired kids to bed. (Why don’t they have this game on a Saturday, non-school night night!?)

So we saw zero commercials and missed almost the entire second half. (We slid in for the heartbreaking loss for the Seahawks…)

I even said out loud, why do we all have so many kids!? (There were 9 for 3 families. We all have 3 kids!)

So I spent most of Monday catching up on Jimmy Fallon, Katy Perry and commercials. Super use of my time huh!?

But there is something that happens when you have kids and stay at home with them full time that you simply have a fear of missing out. On so much. Even fashion trends (I wear spandex all the time. To the Y, after and before bed. No hipster flannel shirts and leggings for this girl). Movies. Restaurants. What’s on sale on Target. Who died on Parenthood and why is everyone crying on Facebook? Why is Downton Abbey a love hate show this season!?

Instead why couldn’t I be so glad there is a parent to do bedtime routines? Freedom to eat lunch at home every day, whatever I wish! Freedom to leaves Legos strewn for days. Freedom to bring the boys and the dad to lunch at Calista’s school on her birthday? Freedom to wear that Spandex bc I do work out! Boom.

Thank you Jesus for leaving me out of so much stuff lately. And leaving me at home for things like this:

Calista turns 7