My life is full of stress right now. Not necessarily the bad kind though, except that lots of stress makes sleeping tricky and keeps issues nagging somewhere in the back of my brain – always looming and attacking. I have been told that I have a great ability to hide stress well, which seems like a bit of a paradox when I have also been told that all of my emotions show up on my face. I guess it has more to do with the fact that I don’t complain and can easily carry on in life even when I am under pressure.
One thing I can’t do, when stressed, is blog. I am just too busy going over everything in my head and tend to be private about that until I solve it internally. Right now, my biggest concern is money (future money), which is such a boring topic really. Do we ever really have enough of it? I never do. Somehow, I always get by though.
My stress this time has more to do with moving back to Texas than anything. I’ll just say that my current income doesn't quite cover the bills much less leave money for important things such as food, gas, etc. Something big has to happen, which could be my boss hiring me full-time, keeping my part-time job and doing consultant work on the side, getting a new job that would take me away from home/kids, winning the lottery (too bad I don’t buy tickets), or another option that hasn’t yet presented itself. Of course, the first two are probably my preference. I have ideas of what I can/want/would be willing to do. In three months, I’ll be back in Texas and dealing with this head on, so for now I am just lulling over the scenarios and dreaming of easy answers.
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Friday, November 12, 2010
Gift of Sanity
Last year for Christmas, my mom gave the kids & me a membership to the YMCA. Little did I know at the time, that it would be the best gift ever for reasons I wouldn't have guessed.
Sure I was excited about working out more; I envisioned a fantastic goddess-like body that hasn't materialized. I was also thrilled that the kids would get to interact and play with other kids in playcare, while I worked out. The YMCA allows for kids to be in their care for two hours a day while the parents are on the property. I must be honest and admit that sometimes my main motivation for going is for the kids' social lives. There have even been times that I wanted to go mainly for my workout.
Lately though, it has been very clear that going there is the key to my sanity. Not only am I a single mom, but I am a full-time single mom. I don't share custody (because he is in Texas). My kids are not in a mothers' day out program or pre-school. I don't have a babysitter. There is a RARE occassion where my mom will watch them after I put them in bed so that I can run a quick errand or even less often while I go to a movie with my sister. For the most part though, I don't get any breaks. My mom is certainly willing, but I realize that she works too hard to have the energy for silly/loud kids.
As for "me time," I have come to consider me time the time when I am in the shower pretending that I can't hear them arguing and the time that they are in bed sleeping and I am working for my company. Good thing I like my job.
Back to the point, going to the Y means that I have a 2 hour break. I don't have to worry because they are well cared for and I am easy to find if anything should go wrong. It is nice and quiet during the time I go, which is 10 am to noon, when only other moms and senior citizens are there. Plus, exercise gets my blood pumping and reduces my stress. I can feel a huge difference in my ability to be patient and handle the constant chatter on days that we go. Thanks to the YMCA I have survived this last year and I know I'll be ok for the half of next year that I'll be living here.
Sure I was excited about working out more; I envisioned a fantastic goddess-like body that hasn't materialized. I was also thrilled that the kids would get to interact and play with other kids in playcare, while I worked out. The YMCA allows for kids to be in their care for two hours a day while the parents are on the property. I must be honest and admit that sometimes my main motivation for going is for the kids' social lives. There have even been times that I wanted to go mainly for my workout.
Lately though, it has been very clear that going there is the key to my sanity. Not only am I a single mom, but I am a full-time single mom. I don't share custody (because he is in Texas). My kids are not in a mothers' day out program or pre-school. I don't have a babysitter. There is a RARE occassion where my mom will watch them after I put them in bed so that I can run a quick errand or even less often while I go to a movie with my sister. For the most part though, I don't get any breaks. My mom is certainly willing, but I realize that she works too hard to have the energy for silly/loud kids.
As for "me time," I have come to consider me time the time when I am in the shower pretending that I can't hear them arguing and the time that they are in bed sleeping and I am working for my company. Good thing I like my job.
Back to the point, going to the Y means that I have a 2 hour break. I don't have to worry because they are well cared for and I am easy to find if anything should go wrong. It is nice and quiet during the time I go, which is 10 am to noon, when only other moms and senior citizens are there. Plus, exercise gets my blood pumping and reduces my stress. I can feel a huge difference in my ability to be patient and handle the constant chatter on days that we go. Thanks to the YMCA I have survived this last year and I know I'll be ok for the half of next year that I'll be living here.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
May Day
When too many things are going on in life, it is easy to fall behind or feel like you are slipping. This month is going to be one for the books. Besides getting everything ready to close on the new place in the middle of May, packing, taking care of kids, coming up with Mother's Day Presents for our grandmas, and trying to figure out how to do something at least a little special for our 5th anniversary while moving, I have quite a few deadlines for work.
Oh, & did I forget to mention that my sweet little boy is nowhere near getting close to sleeping through the night? He still wakes up every 2 - 3 hours starving despite the fact that I have been feeding him cereal for breakfast plus cereal & veggies for dinner, which is more than I was feeding Lexi at this age. I mentioned this problem to a friend who told me that her pre-term son was the same way (BTW- he was bottle fed). They just can't get enough to eat. She told me the answer is banana flakes, but they are only sold through medical supply companies. Unfortunately, I can only find them by the case. I am not sure that I want to spend over $100 just to see if this will work. ...not yet anyway.
Needless to say, I am looking forward to the end of this month. Not only because I am hoping most of these issues will disappear but because the beach club and water park in our community will open. It is always nice to have a SUPER fun activity to wear the kiddos out at. -Happy May!
Oh, & did I forget to mention that my sweet little boy is nowhere near getting close to sleeping through the night? He still wakes up every 2 - 3 hours starving despite the fact that I have been feeding him cereal for breakfast plus cereal & veggies for dinner, which is more than I was feeding Lexi at this age. I mentioned this problem to a friend who told me that her pre-term son was the same way (BTW- he was bottle fed). They just can't get enough to eat. She told me the answer is banana flakes, but they are only sold through medical supply companies. Unfortunately, I can only find them by the case. I am not sure that I want to spend over $100 just to see if this will work. ...not yet anyway.
Needless to say, I am looking forward to the end of this month. Not only because I am hoping most of these issues will disappear but because the beach club and water park in our community will open. It is always nice to have a SUPER fun activity to wear the kiddos out at. -Happy May!
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