Just say NO!

Yesterday, I had another one of those dreaded moments where I just felt like running away or falling on the floor and crying.  I think as parents everyone has those moments from time to time.  I remember watching Sex and the City 2, where Charlotte goes into the closet and breaks down and cries, and I thought it was such an accurate depiction of motherhood on some days.  I hate those moments and they are usually few and far between.  However, since having my second child I have had more of these moments than I’ve had in the past three years.  I could only help but wonder why it was happening so much more now.

After a long and aggravating conversation with the hubby we broke down all the problems that we think are leading to my moments of extreme stress – conclusion: I am trying to do too much.  Finally, after having my second child I must admit to myself and everyone else that I CANNOT do it all.  I’ve been struggling for the past 10 weeks to keep doing everything the same way and then some.  I’ve been working more, exercising more, planning more, and overall taking on more responsibility.  I started dieting again one week post partum.  I was back at the gym two weeks post partum, and I was back to work not even a week after that.  Who tries to do that? Yes, just crazy ole me. 

Well for our sanity it’s time to make some changes.  The truth is that these changes are going to be harder for me than for everyone else.  I suffer from “Can’t Say No-itis” and it has been impacting my life for quite some time! I’m going to have to try hard to fight my feelings of wanting to do everything and not wanting to miss any excitement in order to try to focus on stability.  New Year = New Balance (and I don’t mean shoes).  I have to take time to focus on myself and our family and do what’s going to be best for our children.  Children need roots and stability and if I keep going like this my poor kids will only know chaos. So from now on I’m focusing on just saying no.  I have to stop trying to do everything and start doing the most important things well.  I want our kids to know the quiet in life and have memories of just the four of us doing things – the way hubby and I have these memories of our childhood.  Nowhere in my childhood do I have memories of being shuffled from place to place with something to do at all hours of every day.  I remember family game nights, sports practices, girl scouts, and family dinners.  From this point on I’m focusing on my kids having these memories as well.