Naptime, Nonsense and Not losing my mind

I started writing this last week but never had time to read it again to make sure it didn't say anything crazy....so here you go.  (Side note: this week has been SO much better...amazing what a refocus can do)

This has been a HARD week.  Hard.  Ya know, like when you just can't get ahead and you have to have a root canal and everything seems like SUCH a big deal.  Yeah, one of those.

Last week I messaged a couple friends that I needed help.  The hours between naps and bedtime were killing me.  I was exhausted and the kids were full of energy.  I don't want to be a passive mom, but I honestly just can't fully engage when I'm that worn out either.  So I asked them, HOW DO I MAKE IT?

Here is what I'm doing this week... First of all, we are back in routine.  No spending the night at Grandma's, no last minute root canals, frankly - no leaving the house if I can help it.  Second, I started turning the heat down to 63 at nap time and night time.  I love it...apparently everyone else thinks I'm nuts.  But guess what, they are all sleeping longer and better so they can deal with it! :)  (Now, for everyone who does not nap I apologize for this inconvenience, but it's better than grumpy babies who didn't sleep long enough...and I'll buy you a sweater if needed, I NEED NAPTIME) Third, I'm getting up at 7ish in the morning.  This is probably the hardest and I'm hoping it'll get easier but that gives me enough time to get up, shower, read my Bible and get 30-40min of work in before I have to get the babies out of bed and start breakfast.

That last one is probably my most important change simply because then when the kids nap, I don't feel pressure to try to stay awake and work.  I can sleep, I can read, I can think because I already got the majority of my work out of the way.  It isn't fool proof and I still need to get in my office but the pressure is off.  It's beautiful.

Once everyone is up from naps I have decided to give them a few options...they can go outside, they can read books, they can color/draw or they can figure something else out.  We try to do school, games, books etc in the morning so they can have some independent play time.  I'd rather them be bored and get creative then have scheduled activities every moment of every day. Of course I can use this time to cuddle with the boys some too.  Then at 5pm they can watch a show while I get dinner going.  I've decided to just be ok with that.

After dinner we do baths if it is early and they smell :)  Then once the boys are in bed I try to be purposeful again about interacting with the girls.  It is a work in progress, but I like it better than dreading them waking up from nap time because I don't know what to tell them to do! :) 

Seriously, I think the hardest part of this mom life is balancing out all the things that call at me and taking care of myself.  I love my busy life and ALL of the people in it, so I wouldn't change any of that.  Its just that refocus that helps so much!