Rise and Grind, Mamas.

Once I had it in my mind that I'd be starting a new job, I knew that getting into a routine once the school year started was going to be key in keeping health and fitness a top priority in a busy day.  As much as I wished there was another option, I knew that early mornings would be the most consistent opportunity for me to workout.  In the afternoons the kids have different schedules and activities each day of the week, in the evenings there are often times I can't get away for a workout or I want to focus on family time. And I really didn't want to have to shower more than once a day... so the mornings seemed to make sense. 5am is early, really early.  Luckily, while I wouldn't lie and say "5am is natural for me," it is doable.  If forced to decide, I have always been more of a morning person than a night owl.

The first week back to work I think was pure adrenaline.  I was pulling double workouts of lifting and a run each morning and still having time to relax on the porch with my coffee.  By the time week two rolled around, the new schedule was catching up to me. I started hitting snooze a few extra minutes most mornings, but still getting the work in, though it wasn't quite a "bounce out of bed" experience.  By week 3, however, I could tell the habit was starting to stick.  I'm a solid month in now and I have grown to love the "me time."  I love that my kids know mommy gets up before everyone to exercise.  I love the energy and endorphins that I get to start my day. I love that my 5 year old asked me if I would wait a little later to exercise on Saturday so she could go for a run with me. #hearteyeemoji

When I was deciding on what my routine would be, I made sure to do it prior to the changes.  I wrote down my intentions and reminded myself of why it was important to me. I made specific goals regarding how often, the duration, and the focus of my workouts. I shared my goals with my accountability partners. I can promise you that if I hadn't have made my goals known, there are at least a few mornings that I would have opted for the extra snooze, but instead I answered the bell.

Rising before the sun and greeting the day with a run.

There have been some pretty awesome side perks to my early workouts too.  In addition to the energy boost I get, I notice that my eyes are way less puffy and awake after a morning workout. I get to drink my coffee while its HOT because the children are still asleep.  I feel so good after my workout that I find the rest of my day filed with a string of good-for-me-choices.

And one more thing. No one is perfect. The snooze button may win some days. This VERY day that I am writing this to you was a morning-after-vacation-and-late-flight-Monday when 5 am just came way too early and a afternoon workout won.  Sometimes you just listen to your body.  When you have routines, you can know that this time, you need the extra hour, but it's going to get you back on track so that tomorrow, a fresh start, you're back to the routine that works best for you. No matter what time of day you decide works best for you: Listen to your body, Trust your strength, Dominate your goals.

On the vacation that made me too sleepy to get up this morning, I got in a long bike ride with friends, and a nice run with the desert mountains.

   

"I can't get this door to close!" Or... "How I Decided to Go Back to Work."

Have you ever heard the saying, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans?" As a natural-born, type-A planner, I try to ignore this thought as much as my life allows. Surely God approves of my beautiful lists written in color-coordinated ink and menus that bring me sanity throughout each busy week. Surely.  And surely when my husband and I have worked out a timeline of how long I'd be a stay-at-home-mom, that was approved as well...right?

But then I had to go and open my big mouth. And a new door opened and no matter how hard I apparently tried to shut it, other plans had been orchestrated for me.

Let me back up.

Last spring, in the weekly newsletter for my daughter's school, I read a "farewell" from the school to a teacher who was moving and would no longer be teaching there the coming year. I was certified to teach her position, so it caught my eye.

Then curiosity killed the cat. Or in my case, got me a job.  The next time I saw the principal, I very casually asked if the position was full or part-time.  Full, he said. Ok, great, I said. Not interested. Peace out.

Then a month later, when I was picking my girls up from summer camp at the same school, the principal was waiting outside at pick-up.  He approached me and said there had been some changes in the needs of the school and the position was going to be part-time. Was that of interest to me? Well, crap.  I guess I'd have to think about it. I'll think about it and call you...

I didn't cal him.

Two weeks passed. He called me. They were interviewing other candidates and thought I might like to come in on the same day. um. This was NOT in my agenda, nor my scope and sequence for the summer. Think about it, he said. Let me know by Friday.

At this point, I had to really think about it. Truth is, it had been on my mind since I heard it was part time but I just was too indecisive to make a decision. And I kept convincing myself that with our "out of the blue" move, and upcoming trips it would all just be too hectic for my linear brain.  But now. They seem to want me. What part of that wouldn't feel enticing? Two years out of that line of work and still seeming so desirable to an employer?  It just seemed like too good of an opportunity to dust off my skills.  I called him back.

After much discussion with my husband, we decided I would go to the interview, put my best foot forward, all the while being very transparent about our needs and the value on work life balance.  I basically interviewed my very best, followed up with a few gentle demands, and then said, "I totally understand if I'm asking too much and you decide another candidate is a better fit." They went with me.

It wasn't until a few weeks later, when I was being introduced to the other staff members, that I realized how much they were on to me and my subtle resistance but just seemed to feel that it was right, and it would all work out.  They showed me a great amount of Grace in the process. One of the administrators told the staff, "She told us she had a vacation that she couldn't change in August, but we want her here much longer than that so we made it work." Amazing. Not something you stumble into everyday (which is perfect considering my entry was indeed not the most gracious).

That's the long and the short of it. So now we are adjusting the the chaos of the mornings and families all across the world do every day. But I get to commute with my girls which is kind of fun an kind of hectic but we're making it work. Then we come home and race through lunch and my little guy has a string of meltdowns because his nap should have started 30 minutes ago. But in all the chaos, there is a great deal of balance. Something that apparently, no amount of planning or list-writing could I have figured out on my own.

Where have you BEEN, Mama?

Well, a little thing happened this summer where all at once, we unexpectedly decided to move, I was offered an opportunity to teach part time in a "would be so silly to pass up" kind of situation...oh, and all of this was going to happen in the same 2 week span that we had a long standing vacation planned that couldn't be moved.  So...I disappeared a bit from the Mama's Blue Binder World and put my blinders on to G.S.D.

We made it!  I spent the entire month of July, one nap-time at a time, slowly packing up our house and getting ready for the move.  Living in boxes for an extended period of time was kind of my own personal hell, so we were 90% out of boxes within 3 DAYS after moving into our new house.  They just had to be gone.  The other 10% are hiding in a spare closet, and while they are nagging at my brain, my eyes don't have to see them all the time so it will probably be a bit before they are emptied. We seem to be getting along just fine without them.

The sun set on one chapter, but a new one has just begun.

The new job: just crazy.  I didn't really feel ready to go back to work - I was still embracing my ability to be home with my littles, (...and honestly looking forward to the fact that two of them would be in school a few hours each day this year.  One kid?! For multiple hours a day?! Being so used to three, the possibilities seemed endless! )

But isn't that a question so many parents deal with all the time? Stay home and enjoy that gig, but fear being "irrelevant" once the time comes to reenter the workplace?  Maybe everyone doesn't feel that, but I certainly did. And then comes along this unicorn position thats part-time and as much as I tried to give them every opportunity to go with someone else, they wanted me! The 2-year stay at home mom! It was too perfect.

Family Vaca! These are my people.

So we moved.
We vacationed.
I went back to work for the first time in 2 years the day after we got back from vacation.

I just kept telling myself, "get through August...thats all you have to do...September will be the new normal."

So thanks for your patience.  The Binder is back.