Baby Come Back

Strained. That is how I would define my relationship with The Gym. We are friendly, but not in a way that I can make jokes about the condition of the locker room...more of a polite friendly. There is a general acknowledgement that one another exists, but we don't go out of our way to see each other. I blame myself.



I have this rebellious streak in me that runs deep. It isn't that The Gym doesn't hold a valuable place in society, but I just haven't embraced its place in my life. I have always found a way around it....going to classes because "I get more out of it", taking up cycling because "I don't want to fenced in", modifying my eating because...wait, ugh.....I knew I forgot to do something!



However, determined to make some serious changes in my life, I decided to reconcile my differences with The Gym and see if we could put our rocky past behind us. That is when I encountered perhaps the most perilous excuse of them all....becoming one of "them". That's right, I had trouble facing it at first, and it is difficult even now...but I did not want to be lumped into the group known affectionately as "The First of the Year-ers". You have all heard them, as soon as January rolls around, "I was up at 4am for a Pilates class," like they have been doing it all year...wait, they have...both days. I have been guilty of it myself, I shamefully admit. I have in fact uttered the words,"No thanks, I brought my lunch," more as a proud, boastful declaration of supremacy than a mere fact.



So it was with certain trepidation that I timidly shuffled in The Gym. While I didn't hear anyone actually SAYING "First of the Year-ers," in my mind I knew that is exactly what I was...and suddenly it was The Gym that gave me the most comfort of all. I fell back in love with the time alone, the early start to the day....even the the fellow First of the Year-ers talking about their quads and calorie burn. The Gym provides me with an anonymity, since no one really wants to look at each other when we are all that ugly and tired in the morning. The Gym gave me an outlet for my stress and anxiety about my beloved schedule, but also reinforced said schedule by giving me a reliable outlet for time alone. The Gym just, "gets" me.....



I never could "find time" to make it to The Gym before and really I didn't want to be healthy the conventional way...that is too, conventional. I have had to adjust my schedule, but so far, I am kind of enjoying the alterations. I will admit that I may have muttered and grumbled on Monday as I grouched my way out the door into a nippy 27 degree, black morning. However, Monday night I tucked myself into bed early and with a full 8 hours under my belt, I only muttered this morning. So perhaps, tomorrow I will progress to actually looking forward to it......or at least maintain enough energy that I don't fall asleep at traffic lights, either would be great.



Ok...so it has only been two days....and maybe it is the honeymoon period all over again, or the fumes from the sanitizer, but suddenly I don't care if people know I am a First of the Year-er or not. The Gym is my new place of solace and I will shout it from the rooftops! So watch out... I have at least three more dates with The Gym this week and this relationship may be going somewhere.



Check back to find out how I have decided to utilize some of my children's energy for good and not evil, as well as, "Chores on Designated Days...Can it Wait?"

Preparing for Battle

"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

We'll need supplies.

Who doesn't love a good office supply? I can still remember the joy and elation I felt as a young child when I opened my first typewriter at Christmas, alongside a new clipboard and stationary. The smell of new paper, and sharp, unused highlighters....Don't even get me started on shopping for school supplies! Knowing my own propensity for attempting to over organize, just so I can have an excuse to buy extra dividers and notebooks, I decided to fight against my fleshly desires and keep it simple.

"Tips for Conquering the World" simply states, "Get organized". There is no mention of elaborate organization schemes, programs, bins, files, color coded folders...as attractive as they may be...they may be useless. In this situation, whereby I am trying to consolidate my life into one easy to use format, less is definitely more. So here is what I came up with.

My main issue is paper. What to keep, what to toss, where to store..paper. Constantly, there is a note from school, a birthday invitation, a bill, a cute art project being handed to me as though I know where to put it. It usually ends up on the entry table in a terrible heap until I can't stand it, or until we have guests. I have about three different collection areas, with one main "hub". The solution, one 3" three ring binder, a set of dividers and a box of page protectors. I am calling this genius creation the Book of Answers (BOA)....clever, I know. I have divided the notebook up into several categories and put about 100 page protectors in the notebook. To satisfy my own personal office supply addiction, I grabbed a sticky note dispenser and placed it neatly on the inside cover of my notebook. The plan is to put all school menus, bills, warranties, schedules, coupons, birthday invites......ALL of it into this notebook. The page protectors make it easy to add or remove items and keep everything uniform, so those small little birthday invites aren't lost in the shuffle.What about those adorable paintings from the kids? I bought a couple of corrugated storage boxes and placed it near the "hub" so that all of the keepers are kept neatly in this box, for which I don't have a fancy acronym.

"Get an Engagement Calendar"

For me, this is my phone. I put everything into my phone and add little reminders....not that I would forget or anything (nervous smile). The problem: Busy Husband often has plans or obligations that conflict with mine which are usually undiscovered until we are both preparing to leave at the same time and neither of us is holding the diaper bag. I created a calendar on my computer that lists any current obligations for the month and blank calendars for subsequent months...I can print these off and keep it in the BOA for quick reference. I also created a separate calendar which simply shows our regular weekly schedule with things like school, work and afterschool activities...but I added in a few hours for me to run to the gym or do errands. Why? I decided that part of the reason I am not taking time for myself is because I haven't scheduled it. Everyone else has their life scheduled and by the end of the day there isn't any time for me. My hope is that in using these calendars, all confusion about our activities and obligations will evaporate and the few windows of time I have to take care of me will be utilized. We'll see how this goes.

Some would say I am over thinking, and yet once again, over planning. Perhaps President Eisenhower is right....these plans may in fact be futile, but they are necessary. I have discovered that these plans motivate me to start making changes that will allow me to spend quality time with my kids and perhaps even a little time all by myself! Whether or not the change comes from the fancy new notebook or from some other system all together, the point is that order is restored to a chaotic life.

Stay tuned...next I try to pinpoint my timewasters....no, not my kids!