Busy

I'm just too busy.  That's all there is to it.

But with four kids, a forty-hour a week job, a husband, a laundry pile, a "hobby" (writing a novel) and running a household, what's a girl to do?

I remember feeling super busy in college when all I had to worry about was passing my classes and making it to the cafeteria before it closed.  Oh, those were the days!  All I had to worry about was myself and I could do my week's laundry in two loads.  And the dryers only cost a dime!

I'm really struggling with finding a balance.  I keep thinking that I'll make my morning walks a requirement.  But then things happen.

For instance, Sunday night I ended up working until 1:15 a.m.  I couldn't sleep until 2:00 a.m.  So after I took my daughter to school at 9:00 a.m., I took a nap.  I woke up just in time to shower and start my shift at noon.  I worked until five, cooked dinner, went to a meeting, returned home just in time to work my three hour shift until midnight.

The next morning--TODAY--I took my daughter to school and returned at 9 a.m., just in time for a work-related telephone call.  After the call, I did some laundry, cleaned the kitchen, ate some oatmeal, did some work, showered and started my five hour shift. 

And so it goes.  My days are packed tightly, as if my schedule is a Tetris game I am constantly shifting to fit in more blocks.

It's kind of making me crazy.  I feel like I ought to be able to do more, be more, eat less, exercise more. 

The past two days I have eaten well--until the brownies tonight--WHY MUST I BE SUCH A GOOD BAKER?! 

Despite the brownies, I congratulate myself on two days well-done.

If I could just stay in the vicinity of healthy eating with only the occasional venture outside the realm of "good eating", that would be awesome.

And, as someone asked, YES, I have followed the Ten Easy Steps to Getting Fat.  AND THEY WORK.

Comments

[Marguerite]

Kids can do laundry. Mine knew how to sort and work the equipment by the time they were 8 and 10. They preferred it to other household chores and it really helped.

You do have your kids helping with household chores, right? They live in the house, they use the laundry, they need to help, they're not any busier than you are.

[jen]

I am learning every day to say no. I constantly overcommit because I love doing it all. I sort of deliver on it all but not to the level I'd like because I am completely stressed and in some cases not really truly present. You've got a lot on your plate. Couldn't you say "I'll work on the novel in late 2010 and not right now"?

As for the baking...stop it! Once the weather starts getting cold I too get the urge to bake. The problem is I am also the one who ends up eating that stuff.

We're all here with you dealing with the same shit!

[Mrs. Damian Garcia]

After reviewing your 10 things list I realized I have been following it faithfully. No wonder I feel like crud.

You need to add to it somethign along the lines of "everytime you go into town you just have to have a Pumpkin Spice Latte". I am horrid about that. And I get mad that I actually pay $5 for the stupid thing! You know my addition is bad when the people at the drive through know me by voice, er, I mean name.

Goodbye sweet Mel! Have a great day!

[MamaBearJune]

I'm with Marguerite. Put those kids to WORK! ;-) You need to invest a little time in training them in stuff, then let go of all thoughts of perfection.

[Biz]

It has to be hard with a schedule like that. I am lucky that my daughter has been pretty much self sufficient since the age of 8, when she told me point blank she didn't like how I did her laundry, and has been doing it ever since!

Me, I start a load, forget about it, two days later Hannah yells "Mom, you forgot about your laundry again!" It drives her crazy! :D

Mmmm brownies - now that is insulin worthy!

Happy Friday!

[John]

I check in now and then and see how you're going. It looks like you're...(wait for it)... just too busy. There are only 24 hours in a day, and you're maxed out. So maybe put the weight loss on hold while other more important things are dealt with. Yes, it is easier to lose weight when you are not stressed (unless you are one of those people who can't eat when they are stressed). Hopefully things will change sometime in the future. I'm more concerned about your emotional wellbeing, I'd feel like a pet hamster on an exercise wheel if I were you.

Anyway, good luck. I have to say that I was so proud of you (and still are) when you lost all that weight when you went off certain food types. As it happens, I'm off flour now because HAVE to lose weight and reach goal, unlike other things failure is NOT an option.