Purposeful Relaxation

I've had to be very purposeful with my time for awhile now.  I use my time wisely in terms of the dishes, laundry, working from home, answering emails during naptime, working out early in the morning while everyone is still asleep, playing with the kids during times of the day when they are most likely to bicker with one another -- I'm very productive and purposeful.

That being said, I believe this is the first school year that I will need to be very purposeful about relaxing.

Sure, I am purposeful about my time with my husband.  We devote time to one another at the end of the day, and we are good about making an effort to have dates together, but I am not nearly as purposeful to make sure I relax on my own on a regular basis.

This school year is proving to be overwhelming from the onset.

I will be working two or three days a week (not quite sure yet).  I will have more students than I have ever had before requiring more vision services than I have ever had before with this amount of work hours.  I have a few students with very high levels of visual impairments requiring me to handle work challenges I have never had to handle before.

My little ones will be attending school three days/week and Addallee will be watched by a friend on the days I work.

I will be teaching at our local community college.

I will be keeping up on house work, and laundry, and all of the advanced planning that goes into keeping everyone fed and clothed and clean given our busy work and school schedules.

Any one of my demands could take over every minute of my down time between now and June if I were to let it -- and in past years, I probably would have let it.  But this is my last year with Tracey at home.  My husband thinks this is a ridiculous statement because she is not leaving for college... but she is leaving in a year for kindergarten.  This is the last year that I get her at home for most of the week before we become slave to the schedule of public kindergarten schooling. 

I will be working when I need to work -- both with vision students, and college students... but when I am home with my kids, I will be home with my kids.

Last night, the kids were a little bit wild right before bedtime... so I sent all of them outside to the backyard and poured myself a glass of wine and watched them play while I put my feet up.  They wanted me to push them on the swing, which usually I would do... but last night, I told them I was sitting in my chair and they could push each other on the swings if they wanted.  I so rarely drink alcohol because I am nursing, plus I just don't sit and relax to enjoy a cocktail... but last night I did  and it was so refreshing.

This year, we will be so busy and we will be juggling our kids and our work and we will be pulled in many directions... but I will also be very purposeful about relaxing lest I will go crazy.