Oh boy. It's Spring Break.
My kids get two weeks off of school so I'm trying to pace myself with the balance of chilling out and keeping the kids busy so they don't drive each other, and therefore me, crazy. It's a very fine line.
We have found a pattern that I find acceptable. Normally there is a limit to the "plugged-in" time that they get which differs depending on whether or not it's a school day or a weekend. So we are on "weekend" rules which means more but still limited time. They are taking turns with the T.V. alternating between recorded shows and Wii games. We eat breakfast, they continue, and by lunch all plugged-in time is used up.
That's when the fun begins and by fun I mean the annoying, "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!" Suddenly they are on their own to entertain themselves and their first instinct is to come to me. It's a learning opportunity for them. "You need to use your own imagination to entertain yourselves." I don't structure their time with planned activities leading them through each thing just so they are kept busy and I don't have to hear them whine.
Between Legos, blocks, Army men, paper and markers, the paint easel, paper dolls, wooden train track, race cars, and dress up there's plenty to do. I know this because the evidence is spread out all over the 1100 square feet of our apartment. It only takes about an hour to look like a bomb went off in this place. But that's the price you pay for letting your kids think for themselves and I don't mind because it teaches another lesson later. "You clean-up what you take out and your Mama didn't take all that stuff out." Oh it's like pulling teeth because suddenly the strong arms that took the stuff out turn into spaghetti and can't lift a thing. It's like a magic spell has been placed where each and every step is like walking through water in slow motion. It's quite entertaining if I'm not in a hurry to get something done like go the grocery store to have food for dinner or clean the living room because we have a guest coming over.
And I have to have some sort of "get out of the house" trip planned or we all get cabin fever. Sometimes the trip is fun and sometimes the trip is business that needs to get done. The first day it was library and the park. Yesterday it was going to the chiropractor and grocery shopping. Today it's taking the little girl to her first horseback riding lessons (the boy will learn the lesson that he gets to just hang out and watch like she watched him for two years doing karate and fencing. Oh he's not going to like this!)
What I haven't figured out is how to take care of myself. I need to be exercising, alone. I need to get my Bible chapters read daily and getting five done a day with the little darlings underfoot is not easy. I need to get my writing done (I'm doing that now while they are plugged-in). I'd like an hour of not being talked at. The Easter Bunny needs to get the baskets put together and Mama is going to need some girl time with grown-up friends. I feel selfish about this, but I know that if I don't find a way to fit in time for myself I'll quickly become Martyr Mom and no one wins when Martyr Mom is around.
So for the next few posts I may be sharing my favorite posts from other blogs. There are some awesome bloggers out there who have managed to take how I've felt in my life and put the feelings into words that are very powerful.
HOW DO YOU PACE YOURSELF TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T BURN OUT? WHAT THINGS DO YOU NEED TO KEEP YOU SANE?
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