New post on keeping toys organized with twins around on my other blog. Check it out!
Keeping Organized with Twins
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Flying solo...
I've been meaning and meaning to sit down and write, and it just seems the time slips away all too quickly these days. Currently I made a coffee and sat down to write while the boys are napping, but they decided not to nap. They are jumping on their beds and laughing and yelling, while I ignore them and try to get through my coffee since I clearly won't be taking a nap.
My husband is away right now. For TWO LONG WEEKS! He's all the way across the world in Cambodia, so we can't even keep touch very well. And the time is creeping by so slowly...
I do have lots of help and couldn't do this otherwise, but it still is not the same as having your partner around.
Meanwhile the boys are keeping me busy and being full-on toddlers. MJ is mostly walking all around everywhere. RJ just started walking this past week and will catch on quick. Sleep has been a bit horrendous since my husband left (and that is the hardest part!). I think they just wanted dad the first few nights and were up all hours of the night. Since then they're back to sleeping through the night, but they're in-between that 2-1 nap transition, which is a nightmare! The whole one-nap-is-not-enough and two-naps-is-too-much! When they do nap, it is usually in the morning but then they can't quite make it to bedtime (up from 10:30-6:30 is a lonnnng stretch). I'll write a whole post on this down the road. They are just super unpredictable and that makes it tough for me, as right now the nap time is my only "down" time. The days are long and I am exhausted when they are over. I had all these grand notions and plans of things to get done while hubby is away... organizing and cleaning. But as soon as the boys are in bed, it's clean-up, prep for the morning, check my email and read for a few minutes before I am passed out and done for the day. It is exhausting!
But I am surviving and know I will make it. Just 6 more sleeps to go...
My husband is away right now. For TWO LONG WEEKS! He's all the way across the world in Cambodia, so we can't even keep touch very well. And the time is creeping by so slowly...
I do have lots of help and couldn't do this otherwise, but it still is not the same as having your partner around.
Meanwhile the boys are keeping me busy and being full-on toddlers. MJ is mostly walking all around everywhere. RJ just started walking this past week and will catch on quick. Sleep has been a bit horrendous since my husband left (and that is the hardest part!). I think they just wanted dad the first few nights and were up all hours of the night. Since then they're back to sleeping through the night, but they're in-between that 2-1 nap transition, which is a nightmare! The whole one-nap-is-not-enough and two-naps-is-too-much! When they do nap, it is usually in the morning but then they can't quite make it to bedtime (up from 10:30-6:30 is a lonnnng stretch). I'll write a whole post on this down the road. They are just super unpredictable and that makes it tough for me, as right now the nap time is my only "down" time. The days are long and I am exhausted when they are over. I had all these grand notions and plans of things to get done while hubby is away... organizing and cleaning. But as soon as the boys are in bed, it's clean-up, prep for the morning, check my email and read for a few minutes before I am passed out and done for the day. It is exhausting!
But I am surviving and know I will make it. Just 6 more sleeps to go...
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Time for ME
Recently one of my friends from a baby group mentioned how a lot of us are starting to get our identities "back" after having kids. And I suddenly realized that it is true. The shock of having twins threw me for a loop and there was a while I thought I never would be myself again. I still think that my definition of my "self" has changed dramatically since the twins were born. However, since they turned a year old, I find life returning to "normal" in some ways. Maybe it's because they sleep through the night and I feel quite rested most days. Maybe it's because I'm not nursing any longer and there is a sense of independence again. Maybe it's just a natural progression in having a baby.
The thing that I have found, however, is that even though I have more time for myself, I really don't know what to DO with myself. It's either that the activities that I used to do take too much time and I can't really get into them, OR I just don't want to do those things anymore. I think I wrote before about how many of my hobbies were domestic activities. Now I get to do those activities all the time, just not with the leisure attached. It is a rush get-this-done-before-the-babies-wake-up kind of thing. So it's not quite the same amount of enjoyment, even though I am feeling fulfilled in using those skills to provide for my family.
In the meantime, I still do need time for myself. So here are some of the things that I do these days to recharge and feel "normal" in the midst of a crazy life.
1. Exercise! This is huge for me! If I have the time to work up a real good sweat or be outdoors on a beautiful day it is a bonus. But even when I don't, a 30 minute walk pushing the stroller is great to settle my thoughts and help me breathe easier for the day. I love our family walks, which we try to do 1-2x per week. We often Ergo the boys down the trails to the beach and back around our little town center, stopping for a treat along the way. The dog loves it when we all walk together too!
2. Coffee and reading. Most of my reading honestly is catching up on my social media sites and briefly checking blogs, though I do want to start reading books again, especially before bed. It's just so daunting on where to begin. I used to LOVE reading but I'm totally out of the loop and don't even know which authors I would like anymore. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Oh, and this only happens when the babies are napping and I don't have other pressing matters to attend to.
3. TV night with my babe (the big one). Hubby and I love to cuddle up a few nights a week and catch up on shows or maybe watch a movie if we're not too tired. Before I was a parent I knew so many parents who never watched movies or TV anymore, but I find this is our lifeline! Maybe it changes when the kids go to bed later, but right now we need it. Some nights we are sooo spent and all we want to do is light a fire in the woodstove, grab some junk food and zone out to something that makes us laugh. I actually think it has connected us as a couple, despite what it may seem like.
4. Coffee date out with a friend, sans kids! Okay, this has only happened like one or two times, but it has been incredible when it did happen. I want to find a way to make this happen more.
5. Massage, hair appointments and the like. I started having regular monthly massages as part of my self-care as a counsellor when I started working, and now I just keep it up since we have coverage for most of the year. I just love those days! I get regular haircuts at a hip salon that makes me feel young and fresh (hehe). I would love, love, love to start acupuncture again at some point, but my acupuncturist has moved farther away and I don't know if I can afford the time for the drive and the appointment. We'll see. Especially if we do decide to TTC again...
I'd say that's a pretty good start right about now. How about you? What do you do to recharge?
The thing that I have found, however, is that even though I have more time for myself, I really don't know what to DO with myself. It's either that the activities that I used to do take too much time and I can't really get into them, OR I just don't want to do those things anymore. I think I wrote before about how many of my hobbies were domestic activities. Now I get to do those activities all the time, just not with the leisure attached. It is a rush get-this-done-before-the-babies-wake-up kind of thing. So it's not quite the same amount of enjoyment, even though I am feeling fulfilled in using those skills to provide for my family.
In the meantime, I still do need time for myself. So here are some of the things that I do these days to recharge and feel "normal" in the midst of a crazy life.
1. Exercise! This is huge for me! If I have the time to work up a real good sweat or be outdoors on a beautiful day it is a bonus. But even when I don't, a 30 minute walk pushing the stroller is great to settle my thoughts and help me breathe easier for the day. I love our family walks, which we try to do 1-2x per week. We often Ergo the boys down the trails to the beach and back around our little town center, stopping for a treat along the way. The dog loves it when we all walk together too!
2. Coffee and reading. Most of my reading honestly is catching up on my social media sites and briefly checking blogs, though I do want to start reading books again, especially before bed. It's just so daunting on where to begin. I used to LOVE reading but I'm totally out of the loop and don't even know which authors I would like anymore. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Oh, and this only happens when the babies are napping and I don't have other pressing matters to attend to.
3. TV night with my babe (the big one). Hubby and I love to cuddle up a few nights a week and catch up on shows or maybe watch a movie if we're not too tired. Before I was a parent I knew so many parents who never watched movies or TV anymore, but I find this is our lifeline! Maybe it changes when the kids go to bed later, but right now we need it. Some nights we are sooo spent and all we want to do is light a fire in the woodstove, grab some junk food and zone out to something that makes us laugh. I actually think it has connected us as a couple, despite what it may seem like.
4. Coffee date out with a friend, sans kids! Okay, this has only happened like one or two times, but it has been incredible when it did happen. I want to find a way to make this happen more.
5. Massage, hair appointments and the like. I started having regular monthly massages as part of my self-care as a counsellor when I started working, and now I just keep it up since we have coverage for most of the year. I just love those days! I get regular haircuts at a hip salon that makes me feel young and fresh (hehe). I would love, love, love to start acupuncture again at some point, but my acupuncturist has moved farther away and I don't know if I can afford the time for the drive and the appointment. We'll see. Especially if we do decide to TTC again...
I'd say that's a pretty good start right about now. How about you? What do you do to recharge?
Sunday, January 4, 2015
2015 Busy as can be...
Hello!
I just wanted to say hello and let you all know that I am alive and well. This last little while has just flown by. I know people say that all the time, but this month of December was seriously a whirlwind. From Christmas banquets and church services, to visits to a Christmas wonderland and the snow... there were activities galore. We were on our own for Christmas day (so nice!) but family and friends arrived the day after and the fun continued right up until New Year's day.
Now we are slowly settling back to routine and gearing up for a busy winter schedule ahead. I am back to work two days a week. My hubby is about to head off to Cambodia for a trip with our church and I will be on my own (EEK!!!) for two whole weeks. We are filling our calendar with all sorts of fun activities for the boys: swimming, diaper gym, baby group and more. I am trying to get back in shape. AND we may add two additions to our household and host two girls from Korea who are coming to learn English. My oh my, the fun never ends!
The boys are ever so sweet and growing and changing like crazy! I'll do a proper update post as soon as I can, but for now I just wanted to share a couple highlights of these wonderful (walking!!!) boys.
I'll write more soon... I promise!!!
I just wanted to say hello and let you all know that I am alive and well. This last little while has just flown by. I know people say that all the time, but this month of December was seriously a whirlwind. From Christmas banquets and church services, to visits to a Christmas wonderland and the snow... there were activities galore. We were on our own for Christmas day (so nice!) but family and friends arrived the day after and the fun continued right up until New Year's day.
Now we are slowly settling back to routine and gearing up for a busy winter schedule ahead. I am back to work two days a week. My hubby is about to head off to Cambodia for a trip with our church and I will be on my own (EEK!!!) for two whole weeks. We are filling our calendar with all sorts of fun activities for the boys: swimming, diaper gym, baby group and more. I am trying to get back in shape. AND we may add two additions to our household and host two girls from Korea who are coming to learn English. My oh my, the fun never ends!
The boys are ever so sweet and growing and changing like crazy! I'll do a proper update post as soon as I can, but for now I just wanted to share a couple highlights of these wonderful (walking!!!) boys.
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| Christmas PJs (and learning to smile...!) |
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| First time in the snow!!! (Didn't like the cold) |
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| My incredible family! |
I'll write more soon... I promise!!!
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