The first half of 2017 has had its up and downs. Definitely not bad, but not easy either. A large part of this is due to getting lax in schedule and planning and filling up our schedule with STUFF. So, rather than throwing out all the rules this summer and going rogue, I’m going to use June as a re-start. I find that if my home is in order and my life is in order, then work tends to be in order and things run more smoothly and everyone sleeps better. And at the end of the day, it’s all about clocking in at least 8 hours of sleep.
So, here is my no-so-traditional summer bucket list:
- Meals at the table. This sounds straightforward enough, but at the end of the day when I’m tired and my son is tired dinner at his little table in front of some cartoons is my go to. I’m going to shake that up. One of the ways we used to make meal time at the table fun was with music, so I pulled out the CD player and this morning we listened to some music during breakfast in the kitchen (not quite at the table but getting closer!).
- A real “wake up” time. Ever since Henry was born, he has been my alarm clock. The only exception would be work trips when he isn’t around to nudge me out of bed. This leads to irregular starts to the day… sometimes we are rushed like crazy cause H has slept in, therefore I have slept in. No more of that. I will be setting my alarm for the same time every day so I can have some consistency in MY routine. Plus a good start to the day makes for a good day.
- A real bed time. I need sleep to function, and if I know what time I’m waking up everyday I know what time I need to go to sleep to get my 8 hours (or more if I’m lucky). Not to mention, I have been really lax with my son’s bedtime lately too. This has to change for my sanity and for his. Working to reinforce a good bedtime routine makes life better for everyone.
- Cutting back on screen time. I’m hoping for walks in the neighborhood, pool time, and backyard play to be our go to “after school” activity rather than Netflix. This, similar to dinner at the table, is hard for me because I’m usually emotionally and physically exhausted after a full work day … but I’m committed.
- Prioritizing weekend time. This past weekend we went to the pool, out for meals, we had church, I attended a concert, we ran errands, I packed up my kitchen for some work being done to the house, and hosted a cookie giveaway on social media … plus laundry and dishes and all the other normal stuff that happens regardless of plans. And although I love being “the fun mom” we need to limit ourselves to one major activity any given weekend day. If we get invited to the pool on a Saturday, that is the plan for that day. Too much busyness can be fun, but it can also be really distracting and exhausting.
- Cooking at home. This serves a few functions, but mostly it is cost saving and healthier. Henry has started to show interest in helping in the kitchen PLUS we will be forced to eat out during some kitchen work being done later in the summer, so all meals that can be in house will be!
This probably sounds like a really downer of a bucket list to kick off summer 2k17, but ya know what? I think Henry and I will be both be happier, better rested, and this will give us more time to try to enjoy each other! I sometimes work and parent and use my time as if I don’t have limits, but Heaven knows the limit DOES exist.
