Giving Myself a Break

I have been feeling a little s t r e t c h e d lately. (And I don't just mean my growing baby belly.) See pic at right for a good laugh . . .

It all started a few months back when I was repeatedly turning down get-to-gethers at the playgroup. My weekends are sacred to me, and I was having a hard time fitting playgroup into the fact that my regular stay-at-home job was slipping over into the weekends.

Buh-bye playgroup.

We recently had a colleague at work leave for personal reasons. This has meant that each of us is picking up different areas of extra work; plus, this time of year is extremely busy for us anyhow. That has meant that I need to get up earlier and work later.

Buh-bye treadmill time.

I have wanted for a long time to find a place to sell my little crafty-hobby-type things online, and when I found Etsy.com, I got very excited. However, to consistently get your stuff in front of Etsy viewers, you need to work on that every day. Did I mention that I already have a full-time job?

Buh-bye Etsy.com.

I have been reading the same book for the last month. I was able to start and finish the last one in March when I flew back and forth to DC for a speaking engagement for work. Looks like that is the only real time I have for reading anymore. (Ok, I could fit it in if I stopped watching Medium, American Idol, Top Chef and Criminal Minds . . .)

Buh-bye reading.

James has been fascinated with fish lately. Chris and I went to the pet store to buy him a goldfish (you know, to put in a gold fish bowl, like on Sesame Street?) Aaaaahhhh, no. According to the pet people, you can't do that with anything but a Betta. So, we bought him a 5 gallon aquarium setup and were going to get him the fish yesterday. As I was putting it together, I was thinking "What am I, nuts??? He's not even TWO!!!"

Buh-bye guppies.

So. I know this has seemed to be a very "woe is me" type of post. However, I am actually feeling good about it, because, I am still making my priorities happen.

I still have dinner with my family around the table 6 out of 7 nights a week.


I still read James stories every night.


I still kiss my husband first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.


I still get great mental pleasure out of my job, and flexing my brain to do it.


I still have time for my gardening, cooking, baking and blogging.


I think sometimes it is important for me to realize when I am over-extended, and to re-prioritize things, and not take on so much guilt.


So James might end up watching more than two hours of TV a day. As long as it's not the garbage that I am watching, I think he'll be just fine.

So I go from wearing complete eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, lip gloss, blush and bronzer to just wearing mascara and lip gloss. Is Stacey London going to suddenly appear and tell me that I am a candidate for her show? I don't think so.

So I don't hit the treadmill every day. As long as I can get outside with James and Chris on the weekend, I don't think my body will fall apart.


What is important is that my family and I are happy and healthy. Everything else can just fall into place. If it needs getting done, it will. If it can wait, so be it.

BTW, Chris, if you are reading this, I don't think I'll have time to make a six-course meal for dinner tonight--how does Chipotle sound to you???