Whirlwind

Mental Reminder to myself:

Goal #7 on my current list of goals –

Stay flexible and open-minded as Christian starts his new job. (Did I mention he got a new job? again! This time he’s working with Craft Beers. He is a very happy man!) Remember longterm life goals for our family – This is where he is supposed to be!

There is a reason I listed this on my set of goals………….because I am lousy at staying flexible and open-minded when life drastically changes (or when I have myself convinced it is a drastic change). I panic. I find worst case scenarios. My Fight or Flight instincts turn on hyper-mode. What normally ends up happening is I panic, I get angry at Christian for X, Y, and Z (plus all the A, B, and Cs before those letters), and I turn into a Kristy that handles everything herself. The outcome is never pretty.

As his first day approaches (next Monday..yes! this makes me want to panic), I’m reminding myself of goal #7.

Flexible and Open-Minded.

What’s the big deal? His new job now requires some commuting. His new job also has a more structured work schedule. We have both been very lucky to have jobs that allow us to support our families and provide some flexibility with scheduling and juggling all family responsibilities.

Our current scenario: I drop Cole off at school (during the school year) and then I start my work day. Christian takes care of Chet and drops him off at my mom’s house before he starts his work day. After work, I pick up Chet. Christian normally picks up Cole. We are all home around 5pm to tackle homework, family dinners, and bedtime routines.

Our new scenario: Christian commutes to work. I am trying to figure out the balance of getting Cole to school, Chet to my mom’s house and me to work all in a timely manner (so I don’t have to work later into the afternoon). Depending on tunnel traffic, Christian should now be home around 5:30 or 6:0o pm. I will pick up both boys on my way home and should be in our house by 5:15pm.

I know it’s not a lot. I know there are working parents everywhere who have much more challenging schedules to juggle. It just seems impossible to me right now. I can’t imagine being responsible for both boys every single morning and still remembering to comb my hair (let alone packing school lunches, homework, breast milk, cloth diapers, my breast pump, running clothes, and maybe (hopefully) food for myself). Add to that family dinners, running plans, biking and surfing breaks for Christian, quality time with the boys…………….well, this is why everyone says there isn’t enough time in the day.

Yes. I know I will figure it out. For now I’m panicking a bit as we transition. The unknown makes me anxious.

But I’m remaining open-minded and flexible. (or I’m trying!)

And when I start to feel really overwhelmed (because it does happen), I’m reminding myself of goal #7. I know how to get through these transitions gracefully. I just can’t let myself forget all the things that I already know.

Breath. Focused breathing always saves me.

Which always leads me to yoga. I need to make more time for my yoga mat.

My yoga mat always translates to my running shoes. A peaceful practice always makes me want to breathe in fresh air and run outside.

A mom with yoga and running done for the day always leads to a happy house and happy boys (all 4 of them – husband, kiddos, and dog).

And then the anxiety starts again. Bring on the panic – When am I going to find time for these things. I need yoga. I need running. They are my sanity.

Now do you all understand why this is on my goal list. It probably should have been moved up to #1.

But because I’m remaining open-minded and flexible, I’m tackling what I know. I know that Christian has to be on the other side of the water at 7am all next week. I know I will be taking both boy to my mom’s house and picking them up. I know I need to run since I’ve worked hard all summer to build a strong base going into the Rock n Roll half.

To help my family transition (and me too!), I’m starting meal planning. I’m eliminating the What do you want for dinner? conversation in our household. I’m creating an organization corner in our kitchen that will include our meal plans, a family calendar that includes time for running, biking, and surfing, work obligations, and everything else you can imagine, and we are dedicating this weekend to organizing our house.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? While the initial transition period can be overwhelming, this change is just one step towards fulfilling family dreams. I really do trust the process. A month from now, I know I will be laughing at the process my brain goes throughs as we move to another chapter in our life.