Well, we’re at the start of week three of the new year, and I have spent most of the year feeling like crap. Speaking of crap, my one-year-old broke containment a couple days ago and got poop all over the family room area rug. So I grabbed the bottle of stain remover meant for animal odors and accidents and sprayed the crap out of the rug. Literally.
Then I go to shower Punkin’ down, and as soon as I am done I hear my three-year-old freaking out. “What’s going on?” “I sat in the poop!” “Seriously, I showed you the poop, told you not to sit there but to sit on the couch, and what did you do?” “I sat in the poop.” So then I had to shower her down. What is it with threenagers? “Oh, look, maybe sitting in this poop will give me some color.” Pat rented a carpet cleaner from Home Depot for the night.
That poop escapade was followed by a major threenager tantrum…likely the best I’ve ever seen. You know, the kind where she’s so hot she moves herself across the room on her back. Maybe we should consider exorcizing the house.
Did I mention I was sick throughout all of this?
Now for Part II of my 2018 Reflections post. I realize I’ll need a Part III to close out my thoughts from 2018, so stick with me.
Take care of yourself. Yes, it’s true, you’re going to get sick, especially if you come in contact with any sort of little human. They’re walking germs! ’Tis the season, right? I am just glad no one ended up with pink eye after the poop fiasco.
But beyond those nasty viruses and infections, without your physical and mental health, how can you possibly be the best version of yourself? It impacts everything. How you feel will determine your attitude, which trickles down to your family, friends and anyone with whom you come into contact. Set goals for yourself. Maybe you’d like to be better about taking vitamins or going to the gym. Set a reminder on your phone for those vitamins, and set a goal to work out once per week. Increase it to two times per week after you’ve routinely gone for a month. And don’t go balls to the wall right away either; you’ll likely scare yourself away.
Are you wanting to grow spiritually? Wake up 15 minutes earlier every day to pray, meditate or read a spiritual book. It may seem like a lot, but if you stick with it, and it’s something you really want, then give it three months. I bet you form a habit and won’t able to start your day without prayer, meditation or quiet time.
Taking care of yourself can also mean getting together with your friends every month or so. Nights out with your guys or gal pals are the best! It’s important to have time away, whether it’s from your significant other, kids or both, but I’ll say one thing, a weekend away with your best friend is the best idea since sliced bread. 😉 Man, how old am I? Who even says that anymore?
Before I tell you about my 30-hour trip with my best friend (no, not my hubby), let me give you fair warning that your return from a weekend away will smack you upside the head, if you have kiddos. Yup, I am not kidding, and yes, I really do love my kids. I wouldn’t trade motherhood for anything, but holy moly, I truly felt like I was returning to a circus. I had no idea it would be so brutal.
Anyway, my best friend, of 25 years, and I recently went a whopping 9.1 miles from home for approximately 30 hours, and it was glorious. This is something I believe everybody needs to do once a year. You best believe it’s going to become a tradition for us. It is enlightening, fun, and it might just make you a better parent…after your initial “reentry depression” has worn off, of course.
Our little trip was full of conversation and humor, and it gave us a break from the everyday grind. Our first stop…manicures. It didn’t start off too promising when we showed up for our 10:30 a.m. appointments, and the shop was closed. I called the number on the window and got the owner who assured me she would be right there. At least that’s what I gathered from the conversation. I am terrible with accents. So, we sat and talked in the car before being swarmed by the apologetic Dream Nails technicians. They actually ended up doing a wonderful job.
We then went to lunch, enjoyed some pho and headed to the Hyatt Regency in the Denver Tech Center. They allowed us to check in early. Woohoo! They even had a little cafe, where we could grab coffee. Oh wait…closed. So, we left to get boba tea from Mini Moo’s Tea Shop…great little place, if you like chewing on those tapioca pearls.
Afterward, we chatted for several hours in our hotel room before realizing it was too loud for our one night away, so in typical Lucy and Ethel fashion, we switch rooms. Who did they think we were? Young ladies out for a raging night? I think not. Try, tired moms who wanted to enjoy an uninterrupted conversation and a good night sleep.
We actually didn’t get back to the room until after midnight that night, after our dinner at Chianti Ristorante Italiano and a Comedy Works show. I don’t even make it to midnight on New Year’s Eve! So, in a sense, I guess we WERE out for a raging night. 😉
After a leisurely Sunday morning and brunch at The French Press, we re-entered our circuses around 3 p.m. It felt like I ran into an ocean of children, and no, I wasn’t hung over. I wished I hadn’t been so grumpy upon my return because I am abundantly blessed by my kids and husband; however, going from a serene 30 hours, where I focused on no one but myself, into a “mommy is home” craziness was a bit shocking. Pat kept telling me the girls had been good all weekend, and he didn’t know what happened. I knew though. Mom was back.
Needless to say, that 30-hour trip was just the break I needed, and I know my friend felt the same way. As moms, I believe it’s harder for us to get out of the house like we want. It takes a lot of calendar juggling and planning because we’re having to balance every other mom’s schedule too. I also think there’s a sense of guilt we tend to feel when leaving our babies or kiddos that isn’t necessarily the same for dads. I don’t know for certain; that’s just my guess. The problem guys face is actually picking up the phone to call or text their buds…at least that’s Pat’s problem. 😉
Ladies’ or guys’ nights out are important, but they’re not enough, in my opinion. Give your significant other a weekend away. (Now, don’t go taking advantage either.) It’s hard coming back, but it also gives you that much needed rest and reset that we so often overlook. It also gives you an opportunity to vent to someone other than your spouse. So, this year, schedule that weekend away. Make sure you really like the person, and make it happen. Just pick up the phone. You’re likely looking at it several hours a day anyway. 😉
Stay tuned for my last three reflections from 2018. There’s still plenty of time to start the year off right. Check out 2018 Reflections to Carry into 2019, if you haven’t already.
