I Need Time to Breathe!!!



We've had an anniversary getaway, dyslexia testing, puppy training and end-of-year portfolio prep, along with the everyday laundry, dishes, homeschool, standardized testing, errands, doctor's appointments, and church activities.  Throw in a few sicknesses, an ER trip, foster care training (12 hours) and a fender bender, and you've just described our entire April and May.

Hence why I haven't posted much.  We've been a little busy.

My oldest has informed me I've been yelling a lot lately, and she thinks it's because of the puppy.  I try hard to be gentle and loving toward my children.  The puppy has added a degree of difficulty to our household that we haven't had to deal with in a couple years.  Sort of like having a toddler again...but I don't think that's it.  I'm thinking the probable cause is STRESS!!!

I sometimes wish I could hear from you, my readers.  What are you up to?  Are your lives this crazy? 

Most of the time I feel like life is spinning out of control and it's all I can do to hang on and pray I won't crash.  


And this from a woman who considers her schedule "simple."

This weekend, it all caught up with me.  Some people can go and go, candle burning at both ends, and continue like that for a long time.  If I try burning the candle at both ends for a week, I crash.  This time I've been going non-stop for what feels like two months. 

It's sort of a lupus fail-safe.  If you push too hard, it pushes back.  Not only does it push back, it locks on "stop" for at least 2 days.  That's what happened to me on Friday.

I had all this yard work I wanted to do.  I wanted to plant the flowers and start projects that I was working on - my birthday presents!!  The weather was beautiful a few days ago, so I pushed and pushed on Thursday, getting one thing after another accomplished.  I really got a lot done that day.

And then I made up for it the last two days.

Oh well.  It was cold and rainy and I couldn't do yard work anyway. 


Tomorrow is our oldest daughter's 9th birthday.  She is so excited about it, and I feel sort of like a shmuck.  Is that still a word?  I have a lot of 90's vernacular still kicking around in this head of mine.  I also had the McDonald's Menu Song going through my head - my last month's activities could be put to the tune of "Big Mac, a Happy Meal, Filet-o-Fish, something, something...Quarter Pounder with some Cheese..."  Do you remember that song?  I think that's also from the 90's.

I've been so wrapped up in all the other stuff we've been doing that I haven't had time (or didn't carve out time) to plan anything.  She picked out her cake, icing and candles.  We have a present for her.  That's as far as I've gotten.  I usually do a big themed party with lots of kids, but this year I just can't do it.  I did ask my in-laws if they'd join us for a pizza dinner tomorrow night.  They are coming, as are my parents, who called today with news of their surprise visit tomorrow.  Okay - so we have people coming.  We'll have cake, presents, and pizza.  That's a party, right?



My 6-year-old daughter wasn't feeling well this morning, so we stayed home from church today to recoup.  I didn't realize how much I needed a day of rest.

Why don't I let myself rest?  Because there's so much to do!  Too much to do!!  I have to be doing something all the time or I'll get buried in an avalanche of mom tasks.

So I shlepped around the house today, trying to declutter our giant clutter piles and make the house presentable.  Mostly, I just wanted to lay down and read a book.  I did have two naps today, so that should count for something.  Washed 4 loads of laundry and 2 loads of dishes that I didn't get to during the weekend.  Fit in a board game with the kids and made a simple dinner.



Sometimes God just says, "Enough!" and forces me to rest. 


He rested for a whole day after 6 intense days of creating the world. 

If God had to take a break, why do I try to convince myself that I don't need one?




If you have enjoyed reading this post from Mom vs. The Dot, please stop by and "like" my Facebook page.  Thank you!  May you have a restful day!


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