Plans to Survive the Rest of Winter

The last week of February was a rough one for the kids and me.  Thankfully at the end of the week I realized the root of the problem - we were all going stir crazy!  Sarah's fussing about any and everything was reaching an all-time high, Nathan was continually provoking her, and my temper was becoming very, very short.

We had some friends from church who were so thoughtful and offered to baby-sit on that Friday night so that Brian and I could have a night out.  We decided to go all-out and made reservations at the Top of the Hub restaurant, on the 42nd floor of the Prudential center.  We had a wonderful meal, probably the fanciest that I've ever had, and a beautiful view of the city to enjoy.  We had a really, really nice evening.

Unfortunately, the next day I think I felt even more bummed about life.  Maybe something about a taste of a night of "freedom" emphasized how trapped I've been feeling lately with the kids?  The feeling that my life is like Groundhog Day has plagued me lately.  Or maybe it was because Brian and I talked some about life in Knoxville and once again I found myself longing for the future of preschool and grandparents to share the load of caring for these two precious and demanding children.

It was time for some drastic action - I signed us up for a Y membership. 

We headed over first thing Monday morning, took a tour, checked the pool schedule to confirm that they had open swim when we'd be able to get there, and signed up!  I had brought a change of clothes just in case, so I dropped off the children in the kids watch and had a glorious 45 minutes to myself on the elliptical (Sarah had cried when I left her but was ok after just a minute or two, but I didn't want to push my luck on the first day).  After that I took the kids up to the gymnasium and we ran around bouncing/chasing/falling on basketballs, then we found some soccer balls to kick around.  It was just what we needed - a break for me and a place to run for the kids (at one point in the gym, Nathan, breathing hard and flushed, sat down on the bleachers and told me he needed to take a little break.)

The next morning once again we were out of the house nice and early and drove to the Y to find out what the "Indoor Playground Playgroup" activity was.  Well, they had half of the gymnasium divided off for the kids and had set up lots of mats and toys.  The kids ran around and played for a while, then Nathan really wanted to head to the other side of the gym and bounce/throw the basketball some more.  Also, the day before he had noticed the two men shooting hoops were both in short sleeves and althetic shorts, so we had gone home and dug some of his out of the summer clothes box. 

When the activity time was winding up, I took the kids back downstairs to Kid Watch while I leisurely rode the recumbent bike and read my book and tried to soak up my moments of alone-ness.

Wednesday morning I had planned on heading to the Y early again (I want to enforcing the idea that every time we go to the Y, Mommy get some time to herself), but decided I needed a leisurely morning more.  We were still out of the door and to the Y by 10:30 so that we could hop in the pool as soon as open swim started.  The kids had a blast splashing in and out of the zero-entry pool, jumping off the side into the pool, and "swimming" around aided by some noodles and some strap-on flotation belts.  One older lady briefly stopped to tell me "I've never seen children so excited to be in the pool!"  The pool was a big success and I was so happy that it was warm enough in the water and the room that none of us were chilled even after being in and out of the water for over an hour (I think it was in the 20s outside that morning).  Unfortunately the process of getting us all showered and lotioned and dressed after getting out of the pool was a bit challenging and undid some of the relaxing I was able to do in the pool, but I think it will go more smoothly next time around.

So, getting the Y membership was one of my strategies for helping myself not feel so down about life right now, though I don't think we'll be going three mornings in a row again.  Another strategy I decided on for survival was a good book series into which I could immerse myself in my free time.  I needed an easy read but something that would capture my attention and imagination, so I decided to read the Harry Potter series.  I had read two of the books when they first came out but wasn't really captivated by them.  But I have kept coming across other adults who love the series and re-read it regularly, so I thought I needed to give it another try.  I just finished book 5 (of 7) last night - which also explains why I'm still not updating the blog regularly.  But book 6 is still at the library, giving me a bit of a chance to catch up on the blog and my project life album and hopefully on some things around the house before diving into it.

So even though extended forecast predicts a chance of snow for 6 out of the next 10 days, I've definitely felt be more upbeat these last few days then I've felt in a while.  So maybe all these things have helped me snap out of my funk.  Or maybe its that Brian's already a quarter done with this month's CT Surgery rotation, the last "hard" one this year.  Or maybe it's that I'm thrilled about Jennie coming to visit NEXT WEEKEND!  Or maybe its that the days were already feeling significantly longer and now even more so due to the time change.  Or maybe it was God having compassion on me and giving me a boost.  Whatever combination of these factors, I am glad to be feeling more optimistic about making it through this winter and even more glad that every day spring gets a little closer!