Life Caught Up With Me
I thought I was doing great when school started in the fall. I was teaching 3 days a week, I was working out 5 days a week, I was eating right, I had a pretty organized and semi-clean home (thanks to the 31 Days to Clean project I did in May), and I seemed to be doing great. Then October hit - overwhelming life.
I decided to retool and realign my goals and aspirations when 2012 began. I wanted to write more, to spend time on giving, and to work on my health. I was happy to send out The Silver Frog to magazines and book publishers (no replies as of yet), and I have sent a few quips to Readers Digest about funny things my kids say/do. I did go to the doctors and got on blood pressure medicine for my hypertension. I am happy to report it was down (not a ton) when I went in last week for a recheck.
However, I still felt like my life was not working right. I wasn't giving priority to what mattered most. So I made myself a list of priorities:
WIFE
MOTHER
TEACHER
Where is God in this list? I do want to live my life with the principals of Jesus, but so instead of putting faith or God first I believe HE should be incorporated into every priority. Okay enough theology for today.
If the above are my top 3, what was I putting first? I certainly spent a lot of family time being a TEACHER. My old schedule had me teaching Monday 6-8, Tuesday 4-5:30 and 6-8, and Saturday 8:30-4:30. Jim has a traditional 9-5 job, and thus is home on the weekends. By the time I was done teaching on Saturdays I was way too tired to do family things. Sunday morning is spent at church, but then on Sunday afternoon we were scurrying to do household stuff that required both of us. Where most people use the weekend to relax, we were spending it doing more work. Something had to give. So...
I prayed and meditated on what I could do to make being a WIFE and MOTHER most important, and ultimately above being a TEACHER. So, what did I ultimately decide?
I have a new teaching schedule. One that I have just started to implement; which has actually been a long process of emails, phone calls, etc. I also eliminated 2 students from my schedule. I now teach Monday 6-8, Tuesday 6-8, Friday 12-3 and Saturday 8:30-2:30. I am able to watch my ladybugs in Karate, and hopefully to enjoy most of Saturday afternoons with my family. I am currently praying and meditating on increasing my tuition rate in the fall as well. However, one thing at a time.
My Mini-Makeover
Me:
I will also be starting my mini-makeover next week. First off I am visiting a new hairstylist. If you know anything about me, there are a few constants: I get bored easily with my hair, and I have a hard time finding a person who does what I ask (usually they do what they want). This especially happens after I'm with the person for a length of time. Basically the longer I'm with a hairstylist the most liberties they take with my hair. The last 12 years I've had 5 different girls. The first one refused to do my hair for my wedding, and after she did a couple crappy cuts I found a person who would do better. After spending time with person number two, I came home with what she coined, "The Pony Tail Cut." About 12 ponies were made in my hair and then cuts were made. It was BAD!
I resorted to trying a person close to my music studio, because one of my Kindermusik moms had a great short haircut. Number three was a great stylist, but when I was 9 months pregnant I had no desire to drive 40 minutes for a cut. Therefore, another girl was found. This month would mark 7 years, which makes number four my longest stylist. I stopped going to her 6 months ago, because she would always do what she wanted with my cut. I loved the color, but I never was able to grow out my hair. Eight months ago I decided to trade services (cut and color for piano lessons) with another girl. She does a great cut, but cannot seem to color my grey. I had to stop teaching her daughter, due to my new schedule, so this relationship is now over.
Which brings us to today. I love a woman's hair at school. She is one of the moms and always seems to have great color and cut. I am going to her stylist on Monday, 11am. Of course I am super nervous. But most would agree that with my track record I have every reason to be worried.
My Home:
I have decided it is time to spring clean. With the time change on Sunday morning (spring ahead ya'all), I am motivated to do a 6 day clean up. I'm starting on Sunday with the basement. I will post pictures as things progress. However, since I did a lot of changes last May I will probably not show such major changes like before. My hope is to clean, organize, and purge. Love the way it makes me feel when I can provide my family with a clean and organized home.
I think my home needs a bit a attention, but the most dramatic change should come this summer. Jim (hopefully) will be completing our basement project, which was started 7 1/2 years ago. Kids certainly got in the way of finishing the area. However, I hope to make some progress with the rest of our home as well. I plan on tackling the ladybugs' play room when they are at school on Wednesday. I'm hoping to purge some of the unneeded items without them telling me they are needed.
Wish me luck...and come back to see the photos!
1 comment:
I want to see the photos. Motivate me! :-)
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