High Maintenance Mom

I spent four days away from my family for a work trip and loved it. It's the longest I've been away since Little Grab was born and I was concerned before leaving - would the three boys be okay, would I be okay, would the house survive? ...

We had a six to seven hour drive and didn't pull into the hotel until about 8:00 PM. After unpacking, I did leg lifts (see Evening leg lifts - exercise plus television...) to a random television show and then went to bed. I didn't mind that I didn't have TiVo and was only slightly annoyed about the lack of internet access due to how tired I was. I wasn't sure I could fall asleep before 9:30 but I did. In the morning I did a few minutes of yoga, made my bed, and started the day. The cycle continued for three nights and by Friday morning I was up before 5 AM realizing I couldn't sleep anymore. It was fabulous and I envy everyone out there who has lots of help with their kids. I'm not sure which part I liked best, the sleep or the clean rooms. The amazing geology probably didn't hurt either.

I highly recommend getting away for a night or two if possible. It's really important to have the opportunity to do something for yourself. If you can't get away, you can still try to integrate time for yourself into your day. Here are a few suggestions.

• Books on tape - I love reading but haven't found a way to make the time to read very much for myself since the kids were born. After listening to books on tape in the car, I realized how wonderful it was to hear something other than Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss. Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" was the best of our tapes and I was very glad we had it. The set of lectures on science in the 17th and 18th century was okay, although I found my mind wandering to other topics and the Robert Parker book, which I ridiculed on the drive, has become something I need to finish. Earlier today I cleaned the kitchen and folded laundry to it. If I don't finish it tonight, I'm going to put the last disc on my iPod and listen to it on a walk. Simply Audiobooks is running a free trial and they have a great selection. Your local library will most likely have books as well but it would be harder for them to have the same selection.
• Rodney Yee's A.M. and P.M. Yoga for Beginners - My favorite stretches in the morning are on this Yoga routine. It takes about 15 minutes and I find his voice to be soothing. He also has a nice way of telling us that there are great benefits to doing the routine every day. Of course, all other exercise is also important.
• Sleep - We can't always control our nights, but taking naps when the kids are napping or going to bed early whenever possible, really helps.
• Morning routines - Having the time to shower, get dressed and eat breakfast is always welcome but not always possible. My plan is to start getting up before the kids so I can make sure this happens (I've also been making the kids lunches the night before so my mornings are more sane.).
• Quiet time - I find that having more than ten minutes of quiet time where I can think about anything is essential to my well-being.
• Good food - Eating well is also an essential part of feeling good about myself. Since Little Grab was born, we've been eating food mostly from Whole Foods and Trader Joes and I've been feeling healthier because of it. I was concerned before my trip that I wouldn't be able to find the types of food I like or even anything non-dairy but it was fine. It often takes time to eat well but even a few meals a week make a big difference for me.

If you are able to get away and both parents are going, I recommend checking out the book "Mommy and Daddy are going on a Trip" from Change is Strange. I will be reviewing their book on getting rid of pacifiers soon, which is a great book.

After six plus hour drive home, I pulled into the office in time to run and meet my family at GeoKids. I was well rested, happy, and even-tempered. The kids looked great and it didn't appear that either one of them had trouble while I was away (one of the teachers made a very positive comment about it and how the Pocket Physicist must have done a great job.). When we got home, we found that our cleaning person, who is supposed to come every other week, didn't show up. The house was fine, but dirty, and my weekend continued from there... more tomorrow on getting back into family life.