I’m really starting to lament this whole bound-by-24-hours crap. I need more hours. Or more specifically I need more hours where I’m not responsible for anyone or anything other than what I want or need to do for myself. Between caring for the kids, feeding people, doing the most basic cleaning, doing my work, walking the dog, and lather-rinse-repeat, I find myself trying to cram everything else in.
I have some music I want to rip to put on my iPod, but haven’t had time. I want to take more pictures, pictures with a purpose rather than just to capture memories, but it rarely happens. I want to dump and edit and upload the pictures I have taken but I’m always days behind on Flickr lately. I want to catch up on reading the blogs that I love but it doesn’t always happen. I want to clean out the buffet and turn the majority of it into an arts & crafts center for the kids so that corner won’t look so messy all the time when my little Van Gogh wannabes get into a drawing mood. I want to look up new recipes because I’m so tired of the ones in the regular rotation. I want to try to make the roti that I saw on a YouTube Indian cooking channel. I want to purge and organize and clean my home beyond the bare necessities. I want to finish reading Breaking Dawn which is finally so good that I can barely stand to stop, and I want to read the next book in my to-read pile. I want to catch up on my missed television (I’m two episodes behind on Ghost Whisperer, Grey’s Anatomy, and Criminal Minds). I want to watch some of the movie I’ve been meaning to see.
But time, elusive time. The only way I could manage would be to give up sleep and that just won’t cut it.
At least tonight I did do something I really wanted – I took the girls and the dog on a walk around the neighborhood to see the Christmas lights. I might have to go again another time because I think some people were out, but it was still fun and very pretty, and the kids loved it. Then I brought them home and gave them hot chocolate and a snack before bed, and it was a pretty good evening.
And now here I am, just before midnight, frantically typing this out in order to keep up with Holidailies, always rushed no matter what I do. Just a handful of hours, that’s all I need.
How much time would you gain if you gave up Holidalies?
Is it possible to ask for “hours for yourself” as presents?
This is a problem affecting today’s kids as well. The 7 year old went from Tai Kwon Do student of the week appreciation party to home again to shower and dress for close little friend’s birthday party. She sat down on the couch and said, “Can I just sleep for a couple minutes.”
A 7 year old who ordinarily enjoys constant activities is feeling the need to just hang out and relax. It’s affecting everyone.
Yep, it’s the same here. You know what though? Out of all the stuff you had to do and wanted to do, you did the most important one. 🙂
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Richard – Giving up Holidailies would certainly free up some time, but not much at all. But the biggest problem with that is that I would once again be giving up something that I want to do. I enjoy having this site (usually, though I do go through an occasional “ugh” phase) and I’ve enjoyed doing Holidailies for the past several years so I wouldn’t want to give that up just to gain 15 or 20 minutes. It’s something important to me.
George – Luckily Hayley’s schedule isn’t too hectic, she has school and in the summer she has soccer. We might sign her up for some swimming lessons in the Winter, but that would be once a week.
Andrea – Very true. It was cold but so worth it!
This is probably a fact of life in everyone. there is never enough time to do everything we want to do. work, play with the kids, have quality time with your partner, go out and have some fun etc, but at the end of the week what is left is a great desire to have longer days, and longing your spouse will give you a nice back massage, but then again, we are all in the same boat, and the week starts again.
sweet though, that reminds me I’m alive…
happy holidays.
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