Today's Good Things:
A bit of extra sleep this morning, decent sleep for the night too
Timely start to our day
Baby was back on her nap schedule
Healthy meals made even while a bit behind
Helped dd learn to make stir fry for dinner, she also made some yummy cookies
Got caught up on school work and added in a new subject
Today's Not So Good Things:
No exercise
Too many yummy cookies
No bible time
Still struggling to get enough rest
I keep wondering if there will ever be a time when I can Get It All Done.
This week I've been working hard to get us caught up in schoolwork after last week's downfall. I think we've got it now, and I was even able to add in a subject that we haven't been working on since before Christmas. Granted, we weren't done until 4 this afternoon but, I'm pleased with our progress.
I've been able to make some decent meals as well. Lunch is especially hard, and so far we've had Leftovers (M), Salsa Black Bean Soup (T), and Taco Salad (W). That's a big score when I'm focused elsewhere.
However, my house is untidy, my laundry is a load behind, (do not mention the baskets of unfolded clothes waiting on the couch ::blush::) and I haven't worked out all week. Today I didn't even get my 15's in. Sigh.
So, it always ends up being one or two things done and one or two things undone. I wish I could find the balance, because they really all need to be done. I mean, it's not like I'm trying to do more than the basics on any given day.
Meals
School
Exercise
Laundry
Clean (and really that's just tidy & quick cleaning, no deep stuff here until our days off)
Oh yeah, and somewhere in there I try to sleep. Sleep is a depressing subject for me, worthy of its own post. Suffice it to say, more could get done if I was getting all the rest my body needed. And there lies the battle I've been fighting for several years now. I struggle to not use it as an excuse, but the reality is, without adequate rest, you cannot reach the level of health that is best for you.
And so, some weeks I can push and get in the exercise. Other weeks I can push and keep up with lessons. Some weeks my house will look great. And some weeks I rest, trying to buy a couple extra hours of sleep where I am able. It doesn't feel like a balance, but, maybe, if I turn my head and look at it funny, it really does even out.
For ME I do so much better when I excercise first.. I don't want to most of the time, because there is so many other thinsg I need to do . BUT when I get that checked off I feel so much better and I have much more motivation to get other things done during the day, I fI don't I tend to eat more and sit around more.
ReplyDelete(((Tracy))) I don't know what to say. I DO believe some things are easier for some, while they very things that are easy for someone else may be the most difficult for you. I'm a person who strives and does very well with the household tasks. I can "get it all in" every day. I am NOT bragging about this, though. I am AWFUL at other things, like relationships. *sigh* So, please don't get discouraged. The Lord created you as YOU. You can always strive to improve, but always make sure you are not striving to improve to be like Jane Doe at church. Strive to be like Christ.
ReplyDeleteIs there a reason you aren't getting enough rest? Is your mind going too much at night? Are you staying up too late? Is there ANYTHING you can switch around in your schedule which will offer you more hours of rest? I agree with you 100% though... SLEEP is a HUGE factor in getting the rest of it done.
While I don't have great advice or insight, know that I will be praying that the Lord will show you His will for you and that He will help you figure out this problem. (We KNOW He is Faithful!!!)
And to end with... I cannot WAIT until the day my girls are old enough for me to teach them how to cook. (I mean, they help me now, but you know!) What a wonderful blessing to spend that time with your daughter! Good for you! (That's worth more focus time than all those "negative" things that did/didn't get done yesterday!!!) I wish I were MORE like that- able to put down what *I* think "needs to get done"... the temporal things, and realize how important those "real" things are that needed to get done... the things that count for eternity! Like relationships!
As far as I'm concerned, you are doing an amazing job, Tracy!
I agree with you, D, that exercising first thing is best. I've had to give that up, though, due to the dynamics of our family life. Dh wakes us (me and the 3 oldest dc) at 5:30am for bible reading and then we discuss and I don't want to give that up for anything. :-) I tried for a few weeks to wake at 4:30, hoping to get in a Ttapp workout, but I just can't survive without the extra hour of sleep.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brandy, for your kind words. I am trying to focus on my attitude above all things. I'm pretty sure that when my children look back, they'll remember my disposition of my heart rather than the condition of our home. I just wish I could find a way to separate the two a little better. ;-)
Can I maybe suggest that getting it all done every day is NOT balance? I know that your goal would be to be on top of everything all day, every day, as it would be the goal for me too, and most moms probably. However, that wouldn't make you balanced, that would make you untouchable to the rest of the world since you obviously could never relate. As it stands now, you're human, and in as much need of the Lord's strength as the rest of the population :) :) :)
ReplyDeleteAs a homeschooling mom, it's hard to find enough hours in the day. Some weeks are better than others, but there's ALWAYS something to do. So, we prioritize and this week, the priority at your house sounds like it was school and you did GREAT! Next week, school may flow and not need the catch-up attention and the priority for the "extra" time may shift to something else. THAT is balance, and I think you're doing really great at it from what I read on your blogs.
However, sleep needs to be a priority too, and that just can't be done without eating up some time in your day, so don't feel bad about not getting up early.
Then again, maybe I'm justifying my own failings at getting it ALL done each day and you should ignore me, LOL!