Bad Days

Let's face it, we all have them, and if you are a stay-at-home and/or a homeschooling mom you may have more of these days than most people. This morning was one of those mornings where I just did not want to get out of bed. I was so tired and I had decided the night before that I would keep my daughter home from school. But once morning came, my daughter was disappointed, being that she is in love with her school, and so I decided to take her...late...but felt it would be worth having one less cranky child in the house even if it is just for a few hours.

My son woke up in a cranky mood, which is unusual for him. He was clingy and needy and crying most of the morning and I could not figure out why, which frustrated me since I was having a mood of my own. Lately I have been feeling a bit confined and cramped, like I need to break free from something. I know this feeling well, and it usually comes when I have been lacking physical exercise. I have a love/hate relationship with exercise being that I love it, but have little motivation to do it and often make excuses for myself as to why I am not more physically active. The truth is as much as I need and want that time for myself, I feel I am not the priority...my kids are my priority and with a routine already in place, taking that much needed time for myself does not fit in, or would mean I would have to stray or cut something out. It's horrible that I put myself second when actually my well being and health is imperative to my children and household, because if I am not in a good mood, or sick, or unhealthy then how will I be able to provide a positive example for them and take care of them the way I need to? I forget this fact often, and as much as I am out and about with my kids it doesn't provide the physical exercise that every women needs.

With that being said, I was eager to ease my son and really wanted to take him out for a walk and kept making excuses...it's too cold, I'm too tired, it's almost his nap time, etc. But the crying didn't cease, so I sucked it up threw on my coat and his, bundled him and myself up nice and warm and ventured out into the cold morning to walk down to the park for the 30 mins or so we had before his nap time. Instantly, as I knew he would, he stopped crying. We strolled to the park, which is very woodsy in nature, and I set him loose. He ran through the grass and trees and straight for the swings, then the slides, then just ran up and down the small hills and big piles of leaves, laughing along the way as I chased him and sometimes he would just lay flat on the ground and stare up at the sky. In the end, he became tired and went back to climb into his stroller. I purposely took the long way back home so that I could get in some physical exercise for myself. Just being out doors was healing for the both of us, even if it was only for 30 or 40 mins. So the moral of my story is this: When in doubt, Get Out!