Last night after getting both kids bathed and into bed I came downstairs looking ragged and worn out. I looked at my husband and said “I am so exhausted. I haven’t been this exhausted since… well, I guess yesterday.” And that about sums up my life as a stay at home mom to 2 kids under the age of 3. I always feel tired. Being a parent (working outside the home or stay at home) is hard and it’s tiring!
My wonderful husband’s response was “go to bed.”
He was right, I needed to head to bed and catch an extra hour. As he said the words my brain was going on over 6 page to do list. I dragged my sorry butt to the kitchen to finish my nightly routine and most importantly get my coffeemaker ready for the morning. I was surprised to see my husband standing in the door way when I turned around.
“Go to bed.”
“I will I just have a few thing to do.”
“Like what?”
“Make coffee, cut coupons, feed the dog, pack snacks…”
“Go to bed. None of that is important.”
“Coffee is important.”
“I will take care of it, all of it.”
I don’t know if more wonderful words have ever been spoken. At that very moment I remembered why I loved my bossy husband. He just tells it like it is. Truthfully packing snacks and cutting coupons did not need to be done right away. My husband knows that I get side tracked and start working on little projects around the house and before I know it it’s midnight (in fact I am typing this at 9:34 pm and he has ordered me to bed by 10.)
I don’t know what happens to a woman when she becomes a mother. Something changes… You get these strange super powers like being able to function on less then 4 hours of sleep, or carrying heavy loads like an infant carrier, 3 bags of groceries, a diaper bag, and a screaming toddler. These super powers are awesome but eventually these changes cause us to stop taking care of ourselves. The past 3 months have been eye opening for me, seeing what really matters and trying to let go of what doesn’t. Last night I was so tired, tired because I had been ignoring my bodies signals that it needed more rest and better nutrition. I got my 9 hours of sleep last night and woke up feeling like my Almost Super Mom self, so good that I headed to the gym for a run. What? A run and a good night’s rest all within 24 hours. How does that happen? I know, I know, I am super lucky to have my husband to help keep me grounded.
For the month of September I am really focusing on what I can do to take better care of me. I started a journal (Shawn at Awesomely Awake gave me the idea, but her’s is a bit different than mine) to help me unwind. Each night I take 5 minutes to write about my day, exercise, nutrition, rest, what we did, and general recap of the day. After that I list Good/Bad/Need Work, it’s nice for me to see stuff that was awesome, stuff that didn’t go so well, and stuff I need to work on. It’s just a list, so I can get it out of my mind by writing it on paper, and it has really helped!
What areas of self care are you lacking? Do you journal?
Almost Super Mom Fit 
So glad he stepped in to take over! We’ve learned to share some of those duties too– a mom’s work never ends, and you just need help sometimes! I love your journal idea. I have one, but only write in it every week or two. Great goals for a healthier month. And so glad to see you signed up for the virtual run, I’m glad to connect with you!