Any ideas on how to make more time for me?
There's a toughy! I have taken up karate. Class is Tuesday am w/ 3 other moms and the instructor asked me to join in w/ the kids Fri. pm. I really enjoy karate!
The dojo parents have become close, so I started a twice a month meet in town at the restaurant/bar after last Fri. class. My two little ones will be sleeping and my two older ones will be watching a movie. I'm no more than 1 1/2 miles away and my neighbors are there, too. We're home by 10:30. (I'm very social, so what feeds me is out and about adult time. Not the bubble bath type.) I've often had some parents to our home after last Tues pm class... I put the little two down and the two big girls either read upstairs, IM their friends or whatever. We have an enclosed patio, so I sit there with my friends...very relaxing to me.
Perhaps an extra curricular activity where Michael is occupied for an hour once or twice a week, so you can sit outside and watch the birds talk to each other, run to the bank or read the Elijah Co. catalog. Or quiet reading time... (big in our home)...find a book, do a puzzle, work on Critical Thinking Press books...while Mom takes a 20 minute nap, reads to herself, writes a letter, whatever. This time is just after lunch in our home. It's my mental/emotional break from the daily grind.
Can Michael do his lesson work at the stable? If he's not a rider, set him up somewhere...on a blanket outside, in a lawn chair inside...with some light school work. Or put him to work while there. Maybe he can help turn some of the horses out, muck a stall
, or even groom another horse (one of yours if you have more than one).
Since John died, I haven't done much in the way of housework or cooking. It bothers me sometimes, but overall, the stress of keeping it up has lightened. My friends ask to come over still, so it can't be all that bad. Perhaps our standards are a bit too high. Remember that poem, something about the dust can wait, the baby grows too quick...(like that helps to remember
)? It still holds true for older ones, perhaps even more so.
Hope this doesn't sound like one big ramble. I guess the bottom line is you must take the time, make the time, wherever you can find it. My time is after the two youngest are in bed and an imposed rest time after lunch. The time for groceries, cleaning, that's not me time. That's let's get this done now because I have the energy for it time. And I find I must schedule it in, put it on the calendar if you must, or that me time slips away. I need that time, now more than ever. I used to have down time right here at home with John. Now I need to look outside the house for it. And I do it because if I don't, I'll lose myself.
How old is Michael? Can he be left alone for short periods if you're not too far away? Any prospects for outside activities or a standing play date w/ someone he likes to be with?
Oh, I can't believe I KILLED this thread!
