Blah, Blah, Blah

This is a venting blog. If you are already in the depths of despair you should not continue on to read this post. It will only depress you further.

I hate tax season as we all know.

Every year during this time I have to write a post about it and its horribleness.

My husband is never home for a few months and that is a long time. It feels like forever. When he is home during this time all he has time to do is sleep. That means not much help with kids, housework, yard work, fix it up projects, garage cleaning, or emotional support. That means no one to deliver my nightly monologue to. It is really hard. He hates it, I hate it, there is a lot of hate going on. I do have to say that he does his very best to stretch himself and fulfill his other responsibilities. He still tries to help me but it is a struggle for all of us.

I miss him too.

AND I worry about him driving his commute on 5 hours of sleep. It is ridiculous.

There really is no solution. We tried to set up a home office so he could work here. It is impossible. He hears the commotion outside of the office and has to come out. Then he gets distracted and starts doing other things. Then he goes back in to start working again and one of the kids goes in to "chat." Then I come in and threaten that child with death if they do not leave him alone. Then I ask him to do something, accidentally, because I forgot that I just threatened my child. Then he comes out to help me with something. Then he offers to go grocery shopping for me. And how can I resist that? (I hate grocery shopping).

Working from home is not an option for us.

It reminds me when we were married and in college and could not study together because we would just end up leaving and getting lunch, or talking about everything else except school.

Dave and I together have very little self control.

I have none, myself. He has a little.

I am really struggling with my lack of self control. I want to get it under control but I can't make myself do it (see?). I try to control every one else but I can't control my own self. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want to eat it. I do whatever I want to do, whenever I want to do it. I can't get to bed at a decent hour to save my life, and I can't stop eating treats or start exercising. I feel like a big lump of indulgence.

Today I tried to not eat treats all day. I made it until 6:45 pm and I was so proud of myself. The reason I indulged at 6:45 pm is because I decided it was pointless to live without treats during hard times (and Easter). I might try again when tax season ends but for now I am filling the husband void with candy.

On the menu for tonight: a cadbury cream egg and at least three of every other kind of candy the easter bunny has hiding in my closet.

M&M Love

Lately I've been trying to decide if I like the new Dark Chocolate M&M's better, worse, or the same as my longtime milk chocolate BFF's. It's so hard to decide. In order to make an educated decision, I must consume large quantities of both. Every night I pull out both bags and take turns eating them. I just sit there and mindlessly chew, hoping I'll start to prefer one or the other. But to tell you the truth, I feel more confused than ever. And no, I can't love both. In my world, I must make the choice.

Please forgive me if I scare you in this picture. Also, please take note of my left hand and it's "claw-like" position. More on my claw-like hands in another post.

Gym Loser

As part of my "get better"/ "move on" therapy, I joined the gym.

I have never been a member of a gym before and I was so nervous!!

7 Reasons why I am a "gym loser":

1. I only have one gym outfit so far and it is ugly. I need to get something cute to wear like everyone else.

2. I've worn that same outfit every time I've gone, which has been 5 times so far. And I've only washed it once. Sick, I know. See? I really need a new outfit.

3. When I lift the weights I don't just put the little weight pin in the highest notch, I completely take it out. So sad.

4. I don't know how to use the machines properly and so I just guess. I push a lot of buttons and I might be breaking them. One machine that I used the other day was "out of order" today! Was it my button pushing?

5. I don't know where to put my used "sweat towel" that they gave me, so when I was done I just left it on the machine. Also, I didn't use my sweat towel... just sort of carried it around.

6. Today I was supposed to run on the treadmill, but ended up walking the whole time because when I tried to run I couldn't read my magazine. The words were bouncing everywhere!

7. Last but THE WORST... today after the gym I gave in to my weak, no self-control body, and went straight from the gym to the Mcdonald's drive through and ate a Mcgriddle! How lame is that? My "workout" counted for nothing!!

Does anyone have any "gym tips" they can pass on to me
so I won't be such a "gym loser?"

The Art of Napping

I come from a family of nappers. My mom always took "20 minute power naps," my dad took a nap every afternoon when he arrived home from work (he had to be at work at 5am so he was tired!). Every Sunday after church my siblings and I would all sleep for hours.

I go in and out of "nap phases." Sometimes in my life, I've felt too guilty to nap. Right now I don't. Therefore, I am taking one almost everyday, these days. And I love it. There is nothing quite as exciting as anticipating your nap. Then, when the moment finally arrives, and the stars have aligned, you curl up and, smiling, drift off to sleep.

So, let's get down to the "nitty-gritty."

To have a wonderful napping experience, there are a few essential things that must take place.

1. Have a delicious snack just prior to nap time. It is easier to fall asleep when you feel happily full of something yummy.






2. Make sure that all children are engaged in an activity that will keep their attention for a long period of time.

I usually nap for about 45 minutes to an hour. I always nap during Macey's nap because she can't quite be left unattended yet. Another trick that works for me is to not let my children watch very much T.V. most of the time. That way, when I really need them occupied, I can use the T.V. and they become zombies who can't tear their eyes away from the screen and therefore, will not bother me for ANY reason.

Another trick is bribery. Sometimes I tell them that if they let me sleep for 45 minutes without bothering me (unless there is a fire or something) then they will get a special treat when I wake up. This works well for us.




3. Use a face mask to block out light.

I tend to think too much when there is light. My curtains don't block it out enough, so I use this handy little mask. It tricks my brain into thinking it is nighttime.




4. The knee pillow. For ultimate comfort, place a cushy pillow between both knees. I can't sleep without my knee pillow.






5. Use a light weight blanket. And NEVER get under your covers.

If you get under your covers you will never get out. It is just too cozy. It is also just too sweaty. People tend to sweat more during daylight hours. Your nap will NOT be as enjoyable if you wake up sweaty and hot. A baby blanket works perfectly because it gives enough warmth, but not too much.







6. Use a noise machine.

This small electronic will only cost you a few dollars but will greatly add to your napping enjoyment. The one I use imitates the sound of a calming wind. It allows my brain to focus on a low hum and tune out any other background noise (like perhaps screaming children).








7. Last but not least, as you are falling asleep, think of something fun to do, or eat, after your nap. This will help you to get up when the alarm goes off.

Remember, you mustn't sleep for too long during the day. Naps are meant to rejuvenate you, not to make you groggy or throw off your nighttime sleep schedule.

For additional napping information, or napping questions, please contact our local expert, my friend, Celia.

Also, if you have any additional napping tips to share, please do so. I may not have covered everything in this post.





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