I'm noticing a pattern happening in my days. I've been noticing it for a good long time actually. Every day around 4 o'clock several things happen:
-My energy level goes from 10 to zero.
-the baby suddenly forgets that she learned how to walk- a few weeks ago.
-there is nothing of interest in the house to her. Not one toy or activity is of any interest(except for me).
-I need to make dinner. (and have not yet cleaned up from lunch, or breakfast for that matter)
-Clutter is scattered on every surface throughout the house. Toys, mail, remnants of errands, it looks as though I have been doing nothing all day.
-Sometimes I even find myself knee deep in some type of over ambitious (and messy) reorganizing/crafting/kitchen project and there is no way I'll get out of it and make dinner and clean the house in time for my Dearest to get home.
I usually end up struggling through those last couple of hours, beating myself up for not being more "on top of it" So I have been brainstorming some solutions to this 4 o'clock Drop.
-Drink some tea. There must be a reason that other cultures have time in their day called Tea Time. Many have siesta- this is a time to relax. Our culture says drink some Red Bull and barrel through it- there's money to be made!
-Close my eyes and breathe just for a moment.(except of course those eyes in the back of my head that grew when I had Cora) I'm not good at this relaxing stuff. I haven't had but 3 naps in my whole life. I want to DO something.
-Recruit the dog. Why hadn't I thought of this before?! Gypsy the dog can buy me at least 15 minuets. More than enough time to get dinner started and get the kitchen semi in order.
-Remember that we are no longer living in the 50's and Betty and June are not down the street gossiping about my dirty floor. and now that the baby walks instead of crawls-her knees and hands are no longer a dead giveaway to anyone paying close attention!
-Cassaroles and Crockpots! Make dinner in the morning when I think I have the energy to take on the whole world. This will require a bit of planning- its annoying how sometimes it takes more effort and planning to make something easier. But that's just the way it is.
We'll see how this works. I am going to make a conscious effort to anticipate this drop in energy and head it off at the pass. I'm welcoming any suggestions. :)
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I remember days like these!! It does get better I promise! When my daughter was a little girl, I would let her design her own dinner. I would draw choices on notecards (always healthy choices) and then let her choose what she would want to eat. There were days on end where she would eat raw broccoli, and her own creation of applesauce and yogurt mixed together. This would buy me some time to make a second dinner for my husband and I that she would then eat for lunch the following day, if not later in the evening.
ReplyDeleteI also have some friends who do the "manic sunday cooking" where they cook everything then and freeze it for the week. just an idea. I've never tried it because by Sunday I'm too tired!
Good luck!!!
I have a similar drop around 2:30 PM every day. That is the time that my youngest one has decided to take her naps (which would have been great if she was an only child), all my energy is suddenly gone, I have to start dinner, my oldest have to be picked up at 3 PM from school and I am usually trying to finish up the days projects.
ReplyDeleteHonestly I don't think I have any solution to the problem just yet. For now I am just taking advantage of having my mom temporarily living with me, so she watches the baby while I pick up from school, and she will sometimes cook dinner then.
In May when my mom finally goes home again, I will have to figure something else out. Then again maybe my youngest nap pattern has changed yet again.
No matter what we will get through this as it is just another season in our life.
Good luck to you and thank you for visiting my blog.