Friday, April 1, 2011

Feeling more like myself

This transition to a new city has been a struggle, and the trials of first-time home-ownership, particularly of a century-old home, have kept me in a pretty constant state of anxiety, especially after I had a burn, a cracked kneecap, and a sprained ankle all on my right side this winter. I'm feeling like my home and my life are getting more settled, and the kids' routine is much more regular. Dr.O's semester is over in about a month, and the Jedis are off for the summer in 2 months. In the meantime, we have spring weather to look forward to, at least some day!

With my decreased time spent online, I've been getting more rest AND getting more done in my home. This week I've made 6 loaves of whole wheat honey bread, and Dr. O. has made two loaves of caraway rye. I've been making dinners that accommodate Dr. O's lenten meat fast and trying some new recipes. It's Friday, and I'm on the last load of laundry, and the rest is already put away. My sweet husband vacuumed the whole house last night and ran the dishwasher twice. Tonight's dinner is our traditional whole wheat pizza , which I haven't been making for the last few weeks.

I list these things because they are signs of good mental health for me. When my laundry is running smoothly, and I'm grinding 32 cups of wheat to make bread, pizza, and muffins, and I'm excited to be making yogurt, and my counters are clean, and my feet don't have crumbs on them, I'm doing well! I had to throw out my previous yogurt-making gear because a mason jar full of yogurt had a hairline crack and burst while making yogurt, soaking the soft cooler. I'd had my doubts about the safety of our heating pad as well when it accidentally ran for 3 days under a pillow when Ian was ill. It had scorch marks on it, and I didn't feel good about using it for yogurt making anymore. I got a new one from Amazon this morning, so yogurt-making is back in full swing. I had a hard time finding one that did not have an auto-shutoff feature, which I'm sure is important, but I want to make yogurt! The one I got cycles gently up and down to avoid overheating, so I think it'll work and possibly save electricity.

I did yell at M-girl yesterday because she was dumping bins of toys immediately after I had picked them up, which I was doing so that my husband could vacuum. She and I made peace just fine, and it motivated me to be more patient and take the time to talk through tough moments with each of my children. It's easy to yell and leave physical and emotional distance between me and my children, but that makes it easier for them to only obey when I'm in sight and yelling. It takes touch and a calm and patient tone to change their hearts and make it easier for them to do the right thing the next time. It's the day-to-day training that really does make a difference in my kids' overall behavior, but it's also where my energy gets sapped. I am feeling hopeful after a morning of peaceful conflict resolution, plus M's nap is in 20 minutes!

1 comment:

  1. Day to day training is so hard when everything else is out of whack! I've been struggling since moving to this house as well. It seems this house was supposed to make things "easier" and instead it's all been much harder than any other phase of life. I have been finding it hard to choose joy in many situations......glad things are looking up for you! Thanks for the encouragement!

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