This past week has definitely felt....stressful.
I have been late getting dinner started almost every night with the result that we have been eating much later than we need to. Around 7:00 (or later) most nights. J's bedtime is 8:00 and so it's just not enough time. Plus trying to make dinner while he clings to my leg and says "dinner time, I'm hungry, dinner, DINNER!" does not make for an enjoyable time cooking. I don't know about other moms but a child who is hungry affects me deeply, especially if it's my child. I let him have some nuts and dried fruit but what he needs is dinner. The recipes have been delicious and healthy but by the time we sit down, I'm so stressed that it took so long that I can barely enjoy the meal. I don't want to give up trying new recipes, it's one of my absolute passions and I love cooking.
I've been doing a great job working out every morning, I've walked on the treadmill and even tried Pilates once, but then I rush to take a shower, get dressed and get us fed and lunches made before we need to leave to go to various play dates. Most days it's not so bad, and my friends definitely understand if I'm running late but the morning doesn't feel relaxed and there's no time for anything extraneous. Like laundry or writing or art.
Happily, J still naps but I rush around like crazy trying to get the house picked up, dishes finished, work on the computer (including writing this blog), Friday housekeeping done all before he wakes up. There's no time to read for pleasure or craft or write in my journal. I don't think I've written in my journals in over a week.
When he wakes up, I like to do art with him but doing art has me starting dinner later than I want and we're back at the beginning. I am the one who puts J to bed and by 8:00 I'm so wiped out that I'm falling asleep with him.
I just know I can't keep this up. I don't want to give any of these things up, I just feel like I'd rather not have so many all in one day but I can't imagine not doing any of them. They're important, I know they're important. There has to be a way I can do everything. I'm trying to figure it out.
* One idea I've come up with is to freezer dive on certain nights....but I never seem to know what days I'm going to need it. Almost every dinner was late this past week.
I struggle with finding the time for everything that I want to do and everything that I need to do. I love writing, I love connecting with others, and I like to keep a tidy home. Cooking? I like it, but I find it so hard to do with the boys running around. I envy these amazing recipes that you prepare for your family. I do try, but not as elaborate as yours. I did go to the gym a while back at 5 in the morning to get a workout in, but I ended up so tired and cranky, that I quit. I am finding my groove for the blog. Sometimes, it stresses me out, feeling like I want to write, and should, but not finding the time. Anyway, in short, I get where you are coming from here. You are doing a lot!
ReplyDeleteI think it was a particularly rough week (especially after coming off a vacation with nothing to do), but something has to change. I totally agree on the writing/blog. It's something I really enjoy and I would like to find more time for it.
DeleteMy elaborate recipes are the crux of the problem I think but they don't read elaborate when I first look at them. It's not till I'm in the middle that I realize that they involve a lot of effort or time. I'm just going to start cooking at 4:30-5 this upcoming week and see if that helps. I don't really want to give up cooking new recipes.
Getting up at 5 to go to the gym would make me CRANKY!!