Midweek Check In

 It’s a heatwave where we are today so I’ve mostly been about the house keeping baby and dog nice and cool. I got out first thing and did some mobility exercises and 10 minutes of skipping. I took a break from skipping altogether for a few weeks to give my knees time to recover (we were also away for a week during that time. My knees definitely feel a lot better. In fact I’ve done some skipping 2 days in a row and they feel fine. My homemade "rehab programme" seems to be helping. For the next 4 days though i've got both kids on my own so i'm unlikely to fit in any exercises but to be honest I think that's a good thing. I think it will force me to give my knees the rest they probably need even although they feel ok.

We were away for 4 days last week and I needed to catch up with myself this week. There was so much washing and housework to do. It's so hard to get a run at anything. I know lots of people say the housework will still be there when the kids are grown up and I do get that but also I like there to be some sort of order in the house! It makes me feel so much better mentally. 

This week I’ve managed to do mobility exercises each morning, one strength session and 2 skipping sessions. I’m feeling good about that. I’ve also been eating really well. I enjoyed being on holiday but it’s always good to get home and enjoy some home cooking and fresh ingredients. 

Mentally I’ve been struggling a bit though this week. Various things have been stressing me. My toddler has been pushing my buttons at bedtime. I find it so hard when baby is upset and my eldest also needs something. My husband was out so it was a solo bedtime. I’m not sure if I handled it well or not. I felt pretty stressed. I’m feeling anxious because my husband is going to his cousins wedding this weekend. It involves being away Friday to Sunday. He won’t return until after bedtime on Sunday night. I’ve made plans for during the day but it’s the evenings and bedtimes that can get quite tough. I’m really trying to mentally prepare myself. I don’t want to get frustrated or annoyed. I want to be calm and present. I also want to try and relax and embrace the chaos. If it doesn’t go well and bedtime is later etc then I need to accept that it’s ok for that to happen. 

I also feel things with my parents are quite strained and I don’t find them helpful when it comes to the kids. I’m trying not to mention my husband being away too much because sometimes I find my mum immediately thinks she can be here all weekend and honestly I can’t cope with that. It makes things 10 times harder. She mostly wants to come and gossip and tell me about all the family politics between her sisters. She doesn’t really help with the kids at all and they often seem more stressed when she’s around. It’s so difficult to manage it all but I do feel a bit isolated going into this weekend. I really wish I could rely on them a bit more and not feel so stressed by them. 

My goal for the next 4 days is to be kind to myself, relax, enjoy the lovely moments with my kids and ride out the difficult times.