Monday-Me Day

Field Trip on Friday

I love Mondays!

Don't hate me.

It's something I feel should be a secret. Something I shouldn't say out loud. But hear me out.

It was a crud weekend.  With my son having to do his school work at home because he's not getting it done at school (remember I told you, he is a slow learner.  We're going on two weeks with no video games, not playing with friends, no T.V.) and with the kids being in a musical, our weekend looked like this:

Friday:

• 3rd grade field trip for Pioneer Days (somebody please remind me that field trips give me migraines no matter how great the trip is)
• McDonalds after school since this is the only time for dinner
• prep kids' hair and make-up for musical
• drop kids off at theatre
• take two Excedrin Migraine and half a Valium to deal with head pain
• meet my parents and sister's family for dinner
• see show (the kids are so dang cute!)
• take kids home to bed

Saturday:

• make son sit down to do his work
• make traditional french toast and bacon (one meal I actually enjoy making for the family) with extra for Sunday morning's breakfast
• get laundry started
• after a few hours of work, go return costumes from field trip to costume shop
• come home and make son sit and work some more
• get little girl to take a shower
• come downstairs to find safety pins have been attached to a bunch of different things around the room
• do more laundry
• come back in from garage to find son out of chair up to no good again
• lose my freaking mind

There's yelling, there's swearing, there's tears
Oh and by the way, my husband is gone all day at a conference
Five hours total that my son sits at the table to get work done

• make dinner, did we even have lunch?
• prep kids' hair and make-up for show
• drop kids off at theatre
• work concessions at theatre
• take kids home to bed

Sunday:

• get up early to make coffee at church
• hadn't told husband that there was french toast in fridge for breakfast so he gets the kids Carl's Jr. for breakfast
• attend church
• prep coffee for second service
• find out my kids have helped themselves to bagels and cream cheese when we are supposed to be going to get real food for lunch which I hadn't told anybody about (is there an app that will automatically let all family members read my mind to know what the plans are without me having to draw up an agenda on chart paper?)
• get myself something to eat
• take kids to theatre
• run around getting very few things accomplished
• pick up kids
• have "girl time" with daughter to reward her for getting her work done and putting up with not be able to do much while brother gets his work done
• son works with dad on getting closet clean
• put kids to bed
• fast forward through NASCAR race stopping to see the cause of cautions and see who wins

And then comes Monday.

I get up, get dressed, make breakfast, make lunches, get kids up and dressed, drive them to school, leave them there.

For..... Six..... Hours.....

So, I declared Monday a "Me" day.

I must slow down. I must do things that will help fill my tank. I must let go of my desire to be perfect for just one day.

I take a look at my list of things to do for the week and see what HAS to be done today and what I WANT to work on for the day.  I've been learning that I honestly have to exercise.  It's no longer about the desire to be thinner or healthier.  It has to do with mental health. My depression hits me hard when I battle with my son like I did on Saturday.

I did my walk while listening to my favorite Podcast at Beyond the To Do List.  Took a looong shower shaving both legs and underarms in no rush what-so-ever. Actually did my hair and dressed up in an outfit purely for my own liking.  I even used smelly lotion and put on perfume. Did some more laundry, worked on my blog, and met a favorite friend for coffee.  We caught up on our week and I was reminded why my Coffee Friend is one of my favorite people.  Just an awesome person that makes the world a brighter place.  Then I'm blessed to go pick up my kids where I know one of my other favorite people, Sister From Another Mister, will be to pick up her own kids.  We chat and I'm reminded how blessed I am to be surrounded by such awesome people.  Wonderfully funny, beautiful, smart, loving friends in my life.  And I get to see yet another one tomorrow.

At that point, I'm ready and refreshed to greet my munchkins.

There's another little light of hope too.  My son only had one assignment that he didn't finish today and he chose to find a pencil and get it done in the car on the way home.  As I watched him play a video game, I hope and pray it's a reward he remembers as he gets down to work tomorrow.

As I type, my husband is playing with both kids upstairs.  A real dinner is cooking in the oven.

And I take my Every Tuesday Date Friend's advice and just breathe.... breathe.... breathe.....

Thank God For Mondays!!