Earthgirl's Final Battle

earthgirl · 4 October 2018 at 6:24PM

We want him to stay he's great normally, just has a few habits that are quite eccentric (we think).

Anyway just popped by to say didn't want to cause anyone any offence with my saying "fall down is an accident, staying down is a choice" I just say it to myself to encourage me to make better choices, not to "stay down" in disorganised chaos!

Nothing to do with really falling down or being ill etc sorry if it was offensive.

apple_muncher · 4 October 2018 at 9:18PM

No offence taken here!

Like the bedtime/get up time routines.

beanielou · 4 October 2018 at 9:47PM

earthgirl wrote: »

We want him to stay he's great normally, just has a few habits that are quite eccentric (we think).

Anyway just popped by to say didn't want to cause anyone any offence with my saying "fall down is an accident, staying down is a choice" I just say it to myself to encourage me to make better choices, not to "stay down" in disorganised chaos!

Nothing to do with really falling down or being ill etc sorry if it was offensive.

None taken.

This Japanese proverb is my Manta :- Fall down 7 times, get up 8.
Apt on so many levels.
For life & when I fall.

earthgirl · 6 October 2018 at 8:18PM

Thanks I like your saying too beanie, about keeping going. Most times when things don't go to plan (which is just life!) I can usually do something to improve things if i make better choices.

Had a great few days, spending freeze still in place here, so only things I had committed to were paid for £2 in total for a prize after a cross country race this morning. Ds1 won bronze in the regional event, he's so sporty unlike his mummy! I took them to the library in the larger townwhich they loved and then had a picnic and played football at the sports centre, then to a free church event.

Getting all my housework done in the week and making a picnic on Friday night worked so well! I have reclaimed my saturdays for keeping the kids busy and me relaxed. Last week it worked well too with very little effort.

Yesterday was a free night out at a friends, a few of us there and great to catch up.

Tomorrow is church for a bbs enrolment service, followed by lunch at home, and a walk and garden tidy, tea at mother in laws. A whole weekend of spending freeze SHOULD be doable!!

earthgirl · 16 October 2018 at 7:10PM

A long time between posting for me and I've beenpputting it off because I'm not sure how to structure what I want to write, so this is just going to be a bit random I'm afraid, just to start posting again.

I've completely dropped out of my busy achieving life. Yes, I've been going to work (although not achieving much) and yes I've been a parent (but not to the same 'standard' of normal). I had lost a stone but I'm starting to put it back on - no exercise, poor food choices, probably a bit dehydrated too. I haven't done any work on OHs business for about 2 weeks.

On the positive.. I've kept up with the cleaning until today. I have saved £50 on my normal food spending over 2 weeks and I've done lots of extra work including 3 days of lunch club - paid at £30 per day. I have planned for our 3 day city break tomorrow to the nth degree.

I think I've had a bit of a mini 'break down' but it just feels like a 'drop out' of life - like it was just too hard. I've started drinking and taking sleeping tablets again as I can't sleep. Others have noticed my behaviour changing because I don't seem to care as much about things I used to.

Soooo.....

The way I've dealt with overwhelm before is to just do 15 minutes on everything. It seems to galvanise me into feeling like things are on track again.

15 minute jobs
Hoover
tie up hen dust bath and clean water dish, put out food for hen sitter.
Do trello work for ohs business
Do 1 extra job for ohs business
exercise
drink water
plan food to make better choices - only eat when hungry NOT for comfort.
spend 15 mins on things ive let slip with kids (maths work, spelling, vitamins)
No Alchohol, no sleeping tablets - even if I'm up all night

When back at work:
15 mins on attendance
15 minutes on each pupil(6), notes, email services, timetable.

I have nothing to be sad about, I'm just my own worst enemy.

It'll be ok in the end, and if it's not ok, it's not the end.

apple_muncher · 16 October 2018 at 8:33PM

Sending you some big hugs, earthie. Look after yourself. Well done for being able to put it down 'on paper' and verbalise things. Try not to feel guilty x

Karmacat · 16 October 2018 at 8:40PM

Earthie, sweetie, I think you [STRIKE]ask[/STRIKE] demand too much of yourself. Honestly, I think it will be positive for you to stop doing that to yourself. I'm glad you're having a break for 3 days just now, but it really, really doesn't need to be planned to the nth degree. It's a holiday, not an endurance test (this is a remark thats become a cliche in my family in the last few years, by the way - this is all pretty familiar to me, in its own way).

Sending you gentle, positive vibes
xxx

beanielou · 16 October 2018 at 8:40PM

Dont feel guilty.
You did what you needed to at that moment in time.

earthgirl · 17 October 2018 at 8:15AM

Thank you for your support and encouragement!! Means so much to log on and see them today

I think planning our little city break has been procrastination and a way of checking out of my (wonderful but very busy) life and doing the things that I should have been doing, and also because OH expects it and can be quite disparaging if we don't have a map/information etc to get to each place.

For future trips I think I'm going to find 3 articles 'best things to do in xxxxx (doesn't matter what price)' 'free/cheap things to do in xxxx' and 'save money in xxxxx'. and then just pick a few things to do, and get OH to print off the directions/maps.

Our next trip is to Liverpool, chester and North Wales. We used to live here so it should be easy!

Of my list:

I've worked on OHs business
I'm statying hydrated and eating well
I've got the kids doing London related maths

I'm going to take them for a bike ride later for exercise
No sleeping tablets and no alcohol (you'll be pleased to read as it's only 8am!)

Getting there!
Now to complete everything on my list, and pack, so I can work at lunch club and take kids on bikeride before our evening flight.

earthgirl · 21 October 2018 at 12:06PM

City break was brilliant, such good fun! I was so glad that we had a plan of what we wanted to see and where the tube stops were, and I was glad I'd found a hotel near a tube and also legoland. We worked out that hiring a car and staying out of London saved money overall (due to the cheaper price of hotel and also our legoland day and evening in Windsor) and it meant we got to see Windsor castle which we probably couldn't have fit in on public transport, and the hotel let us park all day for free on our last day meaning we didn't need to carry our luggage everywhere.

We saved money by bringing cereal and bowls etc and buying milk (the room had a fridge) for breakfast, and one evening I made pasta shots in mugs, boiled eggs brought a salami and bought cheese salad and rolls. I brought loads of snacks and we had two lunches out and one evening meal out in Windsor.

We spent £650 in total for 3days which is expensive but we really enjoyed it and experienced so much, all the brilliant museums, lunch in the shard (amazing) all the sights, and the national gallery was a big surprise hit (kids loved finding out about the painters and their lives).

Next city break I'd print off interior maps of the museums and mark on where I'd like to go, and I'd bring more activities for the kids for "down time" when travelling.

So why am I going on about travelling and city breaks? As usual it's given me the push I need to get back to saving every pound and making a few more as holidays/travelling is a great use of our income.

Earthgirl's Final Battle

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