Something I've found interesting about myself in the past while--I usually do pretty well at dealing with my stressful emotions when I can give myself a time out. You know, remove myself from the immediate situation, take a few breaths, remind myself to shift my perspective, that kind of thing.
The hard thing with my situation in life right now is that I don't always get opportunities for time outs. For example, when in the middle of my piano lesson, The Eldest Child spills an entire container of sugar right before having yet another poopy accident, The Younger Two each have a poopy diaper, the Middle Child comes out of my room covered in my makeup with half a tube of toothpaste smeared in his hair, and three separate kids throw three separate tantrums (true story, all of those things happened within one half-hour lesson last week), I don't get to take a breath and remove myself from the situation. I just have to dive right into the messiness of it all and hope I don't totally freak out and do something I regret (like yell at my children in front of my piano student).
And sometimes I end up freaking out, which is what I'm learning that the Atonement is for. You know, those moments when it's all just TOO much and I don't have the option for a time-out.
But a time-out is usually a good idea for everyone involved, which is why I'm looking forward to this next week so SO very much.
It's Spring Break for both Steve and I (he gets a break from school and work, I get a break from teaching piano lessons), so we're going on a few hikes up around Sedona and Page for the first part of the week with some good friends of ours, and on Thursday, I'm taking a girls' trip up to Salt Lake City (sans the childrens) to stay with an old roommate of mine for a few days. I'm going to attend the very first women's session of General Conference (hence fulfilling one of my 30 before 30 goals), and I'm going to act like a total Mormon tourist and do all of the touristy things I've always wanted to do around Temple Square. I'm planning on shopping with no exit strategy (something every mom has--a "just in case of tantrums" option), and I'm also planning on lots of visiting with lots of dear friends I haven't seen for years.
When I was first planning this trip, I have to admit that I had a lot of guilt. Spending this much gas and food money on a trip that is purely selfish goes against every natural inclination I have. I'm not the type of person to usually take personal vacations--in fact, the last "personal" vacation I took was when I was pregnant with Maggie and I went to go visit my sister and her brand-new baby...over two years ago.
But as I was praying about it, I got the distinct impression that Heavenly Father wants me to take a personal Time Out--to step away from my chaotic and sometimes stressful life and get the opportunity to take a spiritual, physical, and emotional deep breath and look for some perspective.
And I hope that's what I get from this trip.
Along with some Cafe Rio. I always love me some good Cafe Rio.
The hard thing with my situation in life right now is that I don't always get opportunities for time outs. For example, when in the middle of my piano lesson, The Eldest Child spills an entire container of sugar right before having yet another poopy accident, The Younger Two each have a poopy diaper, the Middle Child comes out of my room covered in my makeup with half a tube of toothpaste smeared in his hair, and three separate kids throw three separate tantrums (true story, all of those things happened within one half-hour lesson last week), I don't get to take a breath and remove myself from the situation. I just have to dive right into the messiness of it all and hope I don't totally freak out and do something I regret (like yell at my children in front of my piano student).
And sometimes I end up freaking out, which is what I'm learning that the Atonement is for. You know, those moments when it's all just TOO much and I don't have the option for a time-out.
But a time-out is usually a good idea for everyone involved, which is why I'm looking forward to this next week so SO very much.
It's Spring Break for both Steve and I (he gets a break from school and work, I get a break from teaching piano lessons), so we're going on a few hikes up around Sedona and Page for the first part of the week with some good friends of ours, and on Thursday, I'm taking a girls' trip up to Salt Lake City (sans the childrens) to stay with an old roommate of mine for a few days. I'm going to attend the very first women's session of General Conference (hence fulfilling one of my 30 before 30 goals), and I'm going to act like a total Mormon tourist and do all of the touristy things I've always wanted to do around Temple Square. I'm planning on shopping with no exit strategy (something every mom has--a "just in case of tantrums" option), and I'm also planning on lots of visiting with lots of dear friends I haven't seen for years.
When I was first planning this trip, I have to admit that I had a lot of guilt. Spending this much gas and food money on a trip that is purely selfish goes against every natural inclination I have. I'm not the type of person to usually take personal vacations--in fact, the last "personal" vacation I took was when I was pregnant with Maggie and I went to go visit my sister and her brand-new baby...over two years ago.
But as I was praying about it, I got the distinct impression that Heavenly Father wants me to take a personal Time Out--to step away from my chaotic and sometimes stressful life and get the opportunity to take a spiritual, physical, and emotional deep breath and look for some perspective.
And I hope that's what I get from this trip.
Along with some Cafe Rio. I always love me some good Cafe Rio.
Comments
Hey and you should plan to come to the Valley the first part of November to go to Time Out for Women with me!!! (please it would be so fun!)