Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Early Mornings & Late Nights

(Disclaimer: I'm cheating. I am actually writing this blog post on Thursday, but since it starts yesterday and ends today, I'm calling it legit. Also, I want a break between this "Real Life" post and The TeeVee ramblings I'm going to catch up on tonight, and that won't happen with this blog format. So, welcome to my yesterday... and today. Stick around a while, I might confuse you more ;)

I woke up before the alarm this morning. That is I woke up shortly before it was going to blaringly jar me from sleep, not as in the multiple times I wake up through the night ticked off... because I am waking multiple times through the night. (We will also overlook the fact that I had forgot I set the alarm fifteen minutes later the morning before... because that extra five minutes over the frugal ten minutes of the snooze button was so worth the extra effort. That's not even sarcasm.)

So, waking up moments before the alarm sounds is a good way to start the day. (It's also supposed to mean your body is getting the amount of need it naturally needs, but I doubt that is true in my case. More like my bladder has had all the time in bed it can handle.)

Anyway...
My second thought of the day (third if you count the bladder's input) was, "What's on The TeeVee tonight?" This ticked pissed me off for two reasons.

Number One.
I hated that I was letting The TeeVee have such an influence on my life. Seriously? I thought about it before the kids, breakfast, maybe even the bladder. Right now, one season of shows is wrapping up while another season is starting, so my schedule is pretty thick.

It looks something like this...
Sunday- Big Brother, Army Wives
Monday- The Real Housewives of New York City, Gallery Girls
Tuesday- Craft Wars, Dance Moms, The Week the Women Left
Wednesday- Big Brother, Toddlers and Tiaras, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo (hanging head in shame)
Thursday- Big Brother, Project Runway

 
Ten Shows- one three times a week. That's pretty bad for me, typically I only tune in to about three shows. Oh well, the school year started is probably going to bring home too much work to keep stuffing myself with so much Brain Candy.
 
The Second Reason this ticks me off...
Is because I am blowing the whole day off. I am disregarding any high points, important decisions, cherished moments, just life in general... by waking up thinking about how I am going to end the day. THAT really ticks me off.
 
 
I saw this posted on someone's FaceBook status the Sunday night before school started. (I promise that although I did it 2 nights in a row, I am not going to make using FaceBook posts a normal standard for blog fodder.)

The person that posted it wasn't a teacher, it wasn't even someone I really "know." However, the sentiment immediately made me reflect on the school year. The entire concept of school is built on a count down. 180 days. With our 2-semester system, it's a countdown of 90 days dangling over the head of each student. Teachers pass me in the hallway asking, "Is it Friday yet?" or  "How long until break?" I myself, although in pure jest, will always end day one beaming, "Only 179 to go!" Well, I don't like looking at my job this way. I don't like living life this way. I'm not going to all YOLO up in here but I want to shift my internal focus from that countdown mentality- till the end of the day, the weekend, the next break- and focus instead of being fully engaged in the life that is happening right then, right there. Intentional living. I know this is a Utopian ideal, but it's a good goal to work towards.

Segueway to tonight... (No boys & girls at home, do not use this as a transition in your writing!)

Tonight was a real stressor- a stressful, stressing, stressor- on the lunacy of our schedule that lies ahead. After the runing around to pick up Benjamin from day care, get Cameron from Cross County practice, take home our car-pooler, get gas, run to grocery store to get corn (and Starbucks), it had me staring dinner at 7:00 p.m.- STARTING dinner. I almost threw the entire plan out the window, but forced myself to de-stress and follow through. I get "Bad Mom" points tonight for feeding the babe cereal and banana for dinner because it was already so late. BUT, I'm giving myslf some "Good Wife" points for serving the hubs a hot, home-cooked meal as he walked through the door at 8:30 p.m. That's one small benefit of our crazy schedules right now- Jason & Justin getting home late enough that I can pull together an otherwise dysfunctional dinner plan.

What was for dinner?
Meatloaf, mashed taters, corn & biscuts

You better redneckonize!

No comments: