I am practicing the safest form of birth control since my first child was born 6 months ago... a strong lack of personal hygine. I have since forgotten the feel of bath bubbles on my body. My make-up has long exceeded it's expiration date for use. My full nursing breasts have yet to see lace and as for my G-strings... well, they are still packed away with my pre-baby day clothes (and I weigh less than I did before baby.)
Now, honestly, I have a wonderful husband that is still intrigued with me, even in my current non-gender form. But I feel I have allowed myself to dwindle in level of importance in comparrison to baby, hubby, house hold management, meals, work, family -extended, It is very difficult to declare time strictly just for me. SLEEP... is a mere fantasy.
My sister gave me a home-spa-in-a-basket for Christmas this year. If I didn't know that is what she gave to other loved ones, I might have felt that she read the tired lines around my face, the disheveled clothes and the pre-salon visit hairdo as a big sign saying HELP. I keep saying that as soon as this project is over, I'll do something..as soon as I take all the kids to the dentist, I'll go..as soon as I find time - I'll start running again. PHOOEY!
I went for a long walk right in the middle of my work day today. All of a sudden I have energy left here at 9:00pm to do a little net surf and tell this great site and the great people that must be reading - JUST DO IT! (hey, that would be a good slogan for..)
My home business is fairly new (3 months), so to get off to a good start I was working till 2 or 3am about 4-5 nights a week. (I get up around 7-8am). This went on for few weeks till my youngest started teething and waking up throughout the night. I knew something had to give, so my housecleaning standards went down a few more degrees. As hard as one may try, it is impossible to be superwoman and now I go to bed around midnight.
I have been stuggling with this question lately. I do so much for my four children (we're homeschooling) that I am neglecting my business, and also not getting enough exercise. I am so upset by my weight and lack of personal income, that I think somehow their needs will have to make a little more room for my needs. I will say one thing that I have done since the day I got married, and it has saved my sanity: it may sound sinfully luxurious, but I take a one hour bubble bath with a book EVERY NIGHT. It's funny, I was a "shower person" when I was single, but then found a locked bathroom door was the only way to get time alone. I call this my "BB&B time" -bubble bath and book! Sometimes I add a fourth b - Brew! (a wine cooler) Also, once my children could stay alone for half an hour, I went back to taking a half hour walk each day. This is not exercise, it's just thinking time, and I can't live without it. When they were little, I sometimes paid a teenager next door to watch the kids for even fifteen minutes while I took a walk.
Now I do. That wasn’t always the
case, I use to try to be superwoman,
but I figured out that I could not
be a excellent mom, excellent wife
and an excellent small business
owner. I had to weigh the
importance and my availability.
So it meant going to bed a little
earlier and waking a little
earlier,as well as, not being able
to accept every job even though
the money would have been great!!!
I won’t have forever with my
four year old, he will be grown
and gone soon enough. So I didn’t
get that new pair of shoes or that
hair cut I desperately need,
But I do take a nap with my boy
every day. Also, I wake-up at
5 am to start my day, so by the
time he wakes, I will be available.
(For the most part.) Now if I could
just make him understand that he
doesn’t have to talk to everyone
who calls on the phone! Life would
be grand!!!
The bedroom door is closed, the earplugs are on and my husband's on night duty. I need my 8 hours solid and everyone in the family knows it. In this house, mom counts. This is one mom who knows that she can't fill up anybody else's cup unless hers is full to the brim. Yes, the brim. Good food, good rest, down time and quiet moments--complete with candles and soft music. It really is possible to have this every day.Life is sweet now, three years after my "Mother Crisis." I could write a book about it. In fact, I did. It's filled with the real-life experiences of hundreds of moms from across the United States. Want to know more? E-mail me anytime at
suvilani@lava.net.
Sleep I get enough of. I'm one of those people who has to have 8 hrs. every night. But I do tend to let other things go. I find I have to force myself to stop working and eat lunch in the kitchen instead of at my desk. I tend to use every waking moment that isn't occupied by my kids, for business. My hubby is great for recognizing this and MAKING me stop and take time for myself. Just this week he called a sitter (all by himself!) and dragged me out of the house for a real date! (movie and dinner, wow!) If it weren't for him, I'd probably be glued to the computer day and night!
Sleep? What is that? We have just gotten over a two week flu that was horrendous. It has taken me longer to get over this flu than to recover from childbirth. On top of that, yes, I am still working at home, getting up with the kids at night, and sick as a dog. Now finally that everyone is healthy my son comes home from school today with pink eye! P. S. My eyes itch like crazy, boy won't I be attractive for Valentine's Day! I will be the one with the oozing bloodshot eyes with black circles under them.
All I can say is "I do try" but it is next to impossible. I know the advice to take care of yourself first and you'll have more to give to the world and your family, but honestly I'd have to say 'me time' is at the bottom of my TO DO list, if it even makes it there. I'm starting to see the importance and have been looking into advice from the author Stephen R. Covey. His ideas on weekly Role Goals are great. I also am inspired by the daily friend I have found in the book 'Simple Abundance' I keep on trying but I Know I have a long way to go before I can BALANCE it all. Sleep? What Sleep? When the kids finally fall asleep (don't get me wrong I love them dearly) it's QUIET and I can think long enough to get something acomplished. Boy does my bed feel wonderful when I finally make it there. Which reminds me it's already 12:30 am I should be off.
