Midsummer Nightmare

After weeks of reunions, company, camps, and more, I feel exhausted!  The constant activity of summer has started to take it’s toll.  Last weekend I noticed I was starting to get reactionary and sarcastic (okay, maybe a little passive aggressive).  I could sense that I was feeling super imbalanced and that I needed to be more intentional about my own self-care so that I could meet the needs of my family better. In order to do that, I decided I needed to wake up earlier again, before my family, to put my essentials first — study, exercise, shower.  

Monday morning came and I peeled myself out of bed: 6:30am.  Yay!  I dressed in my yoga clothes, ready to take a walk and stretch. As I headed out my bedroom door I hear, “Mom!”  

My 11yo son was awake! As much as I love this child, my heart dropped as I instantly realized my quiet morning would no longer exist. “I got up to use the bathroom and couldn’t fall back to sleep.”  

He was wide awake and eager to talk!  “I finished my book!”  

I told him I was happy for him and headed out for my morning walk. After my walk I came home and he had a board game all set up, ready to play with me at 7:00 in the morning! I was in no mood to play a board game and told him it was just not the right time.  After a minute, I went back in the room and told him I would play with him after my yoga practice, cutting out my study time. 

And that is how the rest of my “rebalancing” day continued…

Getting my son to his dance camp and then my husband wanting to engage in conversation. 

Home to reading with my 5yo and a visit with my ministering sisters. 

More reading with my 5yo and talking to my daughter after getting home from work. 

More talk, talk, talk…”Mommy, Mommy, Mommy.”

Deciding whether to work on my YTT or yard work (the weather was perfect) and then remembering I hadn’t studied yet!  

After reading and finally choosing yard work, I get a phone call from my grown son. We talk for awhile and it’s good. 

I decide instead of yard work (it’s now quite warm), I will work on YTT.  And that was a great decision!  

Help my son get the lawnmower to my neighbor’s for a mowing job.  Finish up my Norwex party order. And finally get to dinner (which isn’t served until 7:00pm — something never done at our house!). Play a game with the family and head out the door at 8:45pm for song practice.

And just as I walk in the door at 10:00pm — there is my 11yo son once again,  “Do you have a book suggestion for me to read?” 

Sigh. 

Take 2: Tuesday — Let’s see how this goes. 

I woke up not quite as early (after yesterday’s drain) and decided to put study first this time. I decided to read Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk from the most recent General Conference. I love his talks full of wisdom and some humor.  …. And then these words: 

When we look at our lives and see a hundred things to do, we feel overwhelmed.  When we see one thing—loving and serving God and His children, in a hundred different ways—then we can work on those things with joy….Your loving Father in Heaven knows your heart.  He knows that you can’t do everything your heart wants to do….let us not be ‘weary in well-doing, for [we] are laying the foundation of a great work.’

It’s all God’s work!!  I do what I do for Jesus!  

Today is going to be a better day. ;-)