The past year or so has been nuts at work.  One project after another after another… then a few more… with lots of little fires to put out in between.   Home hasn’t been all that much calmer.  With first grade comes things like harder books to read and presentations to give.  (On cake.  She did a presentation on cake.  I don’t remember what I talked about first time I got up in front of everyone but it likely wasn’t as awesome as cake.)  The husband continues to work full time (no complaints there.) And the boy is 3.

I don’t think that last part needs more explanation.

The kids get my attention every night from 5:30 – 7:30 and that first half hour usually starts 5 minutes late and consists of running into daycare before I get charged overtime.  The rest is consumed with dinner, bath, books, and (tooth)brushing.  Turn off the lights and it’s back downstairs for an hour or two of the writing part of my job I can’t actually do during the day.  My husband gets me for maybe 20 minutes before I crash at the end of the day.

The half hour I get for me is each morning with my coffee and Candy Crush in bed while my husband gets ready.  Glamorous, right?!!

So for the past few weeks, I’ve made a point to carve out more time for me.

• I took a one-day photography class with a couple other moms where I learned a little bit about how to actually use the fancy camera I’ve had for years.
• I got a manicure for the first time in two years.
• Two weeks later, I got another one.
• My husband and I went to the big mall Natick and bought stuff FOR OURSELVES.
• I went to a Down syndrome conference… by myself.  Which isn’t really time for me but I didn’t have to keep track of any rugrats and it was glorious.
• I started limiting my weekend catch-up work and decided to not feel guilty about it.  Amazingly, I still get stuff done.
• My husband went out and bought me 6 bottles of my favorite wine.

A bunch of very little things but I feel so much better.  Morale of the story – if you’re feeling overwhelmed as I have been for such an extended time, you don’t necessarily need a huge vacation.  All you need is two manicures and a crap-ton of wine.