a weekend to rest

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 Recently I had a conversation with a  mother about self care .  She has a newborn and 2 older kids and a partner and a job.  When I asked her about her self care she looked at me like I was crazy...She had no idea of how to come up with list of things she can do that will give her peace, rest and fill her emotional cup.  I'm guessing this is not uncommon because if someone doesn't practice self care, they would not have much of a list.  I have practiced.  I have a list and I know how to use it.  

This weekend I was able to stay home and Roger and Precious went on to the volleyball tournament together.  JOsiah was sad because he wanted to go to Kentucky...it sounded glamorous...but I knew it would be 2 days in the car, 2 days in the volleyball arena and 2 days driving home.  I was already tired and feeling wiped out....I needed to clean my house and sit in my rocking chair and sleep in my bed with the window open and the fan blowing on me.  Self-regulation is a big deal.  

Friday I only had to leave home one time, to go give a ride to the daughter of my friend.  The rest of the day I did laundry, I finished up some time-sensitive things for work, and I started to clean.  Joe and I ate frozen pizza for supper and were satisfied.  I got a full 8 hrs of sleep.   Saturday I watched Precious play volleyball in Kentucky on my computer.  It was strange to cheer from the kitchen but also oddly less stressful than being there in person.  Roger was there being a super dad and I wasn't worried.....  Jeremiah had come in late from a spring break trip to the Alabama coast with friends.  It was fun to sit with him and hear about his adventures.  Then I made soup.  Part of self care for me seems to be soup....chopping and dicing and stirring and seasoning and smelling and tasting....it is a sensory diet that fills me to make soup.  It was tortellini tomato soup with veggies and it was delicious.  Mid-afternoon Josiah and I went shopping for soccer stuff for him and new walking sneakers for me.  I had put some chicken breast and salsa in the crock pot before we left and when we got home I added cream cheese, black beans and gave it a stir.  Joe had a quesadilla.  J and I had chicken taco salad....and then I vegged out in front of the tv for the night.  Self-care, not expensive, not excessive....

I got up early to watch Precious play again this morning, then watched church on livestream, then made brunch.  Then I took a nap.  After I got up a friend needed some help so we got into that.....then I did a pilates workout, made a skillet of green beans, bacon and potatoes for supper and put on a movie.  Self-care.  

Tomorrow the work week starts and the next weekends will be full and being gone for awhile now.  I am abundantly grateful that I found a weekend to slow down and rest and just be and not do as much.  It matters.  

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