Sleep and Breaks

I'm learning how important sleep and breaks from the kids are to me. I hadn't slept well in the past 4 days and it was showing. My attitude was horrible, I was irritable with everyone. If anyone even looked at me wrong, I was ready to jump all over them. But last night I got a really good night's sleep and felt so much better today. I began to get a little frustrated with the boys, but before long it was time to drop them at baseball practice and I went home for some time to myself. Mind you I almost always stay at practice, but today was pretty cold, well cold for California people....in the 50's! Gasp! I know crazy cold! Anyway, I didn't want to sit there at practice for an hour freezing, so I dropped the boys off with Scott at practice and went home to my nice quiet house to myself.

It was refreshing. I cooked dinner, checked email, cleaned up, changed bedsheets, vacuumed, and read some of the paper. So nice! By the time the boys got home, I was refreshed and ready. Scott was tired, so this time I played with the boys after dinner and he had a few minutes to himself while he cleaned up the dishes. The boys and I played soccer in the backyard together. Keegan cracked me up because he was a little surprised that I could actually score on him and beat him. He said, "you can play soccer. You can actually play." I said, I know. These boys are getting a little too used to mommy always doing mommy stuff. I need to show them what I've got! Just kidding.

It's amazing what a night of good sleep and some quiet time to myself can do for me. I really have it good with the boys in school at the same time 3 days a week. But honestly, sometimes I feel like the minute they come home and start fighting or whining, all that quiet, refreshed time, goes out the window in two seconds and I'm back to my irritable state. I'm trying to work on it and I know some days are better than others.

I want to enjoy this time with them, it goes so fast. I need to make a point of staying refreshed and giving them my best attitude and love. Tomorrow night is a Women's Retreat at the church and I'm really looking forward to it. They always fill me up and grow me.