Monday, June 16, 2008

Balance? What's THAT?

Today was the first day of summer vacation from preschool. I'm thrilled to report that we survived it and even had a pretty good day, too. I'm sure the lucious sunshine had a role to play in our upbeat day, as it allowed us to get outside to play several times. We just love our sandbox and park times!

It is slowly dawing on me, though, that the great balance I worked so hard for the last few months to achieve is now gone. I had whittled out some variables and was able to rearrange my days to make way for the biggest priorities, taking out a few of my favorites, but overall it worked okay. But now . . . vacation is getting going and I'm totally off kilter again!

Things that got squeezed out and I need to encourage back into my days:

- yoga (which will hopefully return with Date Night in July)
- date night (we've taken a hiatus for some family visitors at my parents' house)
- book reading (I've only neglected it for a week, but I miss it! I have read 3 magazines cover-to-cover twice, though)
- book promotion (I was fried and intentionally let this one go for about 2 weeks, but NEED to get back on it!)
- strength training (OK, you caught me - I've never been good at having this in my routine - other than yoga - so this is a new one that I'm wanting and needing to inject into my life. Are you proud, MizFit?)

Things that are new to my days and not going anywhere:

- having my son home all day, every day (LOVE him, but I'm not used to having him here all day!)
- my daughter's morning nap is getting later and later, sending me the red flag that the morning nap is about to become obsolete (AGH!!!!!!)
- sunshine (at least I hope this one is here to stay for at least one whole season!)

I'm thankful that other than ditching the 10K and replacing it with a short run on Saturday, my running has been a constant during the past few months. We have some "new" toys (translation: a freebie toy kitchen from a garage sale and the food toys that used to be without a cooking area) near the treadmill, so I'm thinking of having the kids explore their gourmet talents (translation: lick the plastic foods and then pass them to one another in plastic pots, open and close all of the doors a million times, stir around matchbox cars in the pots and flick the microwave "dinger" until it just won't ding anymore) one morning a week while I make like a hamster and log my miles in the house. I can run outside the other days in the evenings when my husband is home, but this gives the kids some toy variety and insures that I stick with my increase in milage.

That all being said, I'm off to relax. I think that's something else that gets neglected. Don't you think we'd all be a bit better off if we just took the time to breathe (and I don't mean on a run or practicing yoga, I just mean while doing nothing . . . or curling up with a book . . . ) and just BE. I'm so much of a "Type A" person that I forget that it is healthy to have rest, too.

How often do you find yourself revamping your plans for life balance?

7 comments:

E said...

Balance is always something I need to constantly evaluate and work on. You're right - we do all need some "me" time every once in a while. :)

Jess said...

I'm not a parent, so I get plenty of "me" time. It pretty much rocks.

Anonymous said...

i feel guilty or get anxious when i try and relax. im a big stress/guilt ball. i sometimes wonder if its really relaxing if i have to try...

anyways, i am ALWAYS trying to find the most efficient/easiest/fastest way to do everything I need to do, but the only thing that really helps me is to write it down in my planner and cross it off as I go.

Anonymous said...

Don't you think we'd all be a bit better off if we just took the time to breathe?

YESYESYESYESYES.

Miz

Erin Leigh said...

Guilt for me too when I get down time. I am so not used to it (besides the time I allow myself on here) that I don't really know how to go about it anymore. I bring homework to the beach and draw while I am there now if there is actually a time that the kids let me sit.

This made me want a nap ;)

Momisodes said...

I'm right there with you on being type A. Doing "nothing?"- Can't remember what that's like ;)

Hope you can find a balance and some "me" time soon..

P.O.M. said...

Good luck finding the balance. I dno't know how you parents do it!
(And just when you get a new routine down, it will be time to change again."