A Crazy Week of No Internet, Friends and Other Things

What a crazy week it has been. I don’t know about y’all, but I am so relieved that it’s Friday. The last week-ish has been one of those that felt like a month rather than seven days. Between not having internet for a few days, lots of plans outside of the house and other things, I am just exhausted. Do you feel that way, too? Let’s talk about it.

The Case of the Missing Internet

If you’re an avid follower of mine, you might have seen my two posts about not having internet. That was literally the start of our crazy week. For me, the only downside of two (almost three) days without web connection was the fact that I couldn’t work on blogging stuff. Sure, I had pen and paper on hand. But these days writing for a blog requires way more than just good old fashioned writing. Did I mention I had gone over with my cell phone data during this time as well? So yeah…I really had NO internet.

For me it was kind of nice to unplug for a few days. But for my two children that have only ever lived during the time of wifi, they were absolutely devastated. “What? You mean no Youtube Kids? No!!!” It was during these moments that we introduced them to the wonderful sound and memory of dial-up via a video my husband was able to find on his phone. Two seconds into the screeching they were saying, “Eww, turn that off!” Welcome to 1994 kiddos.

We survived somehow. We also ended up having to buy a new modem (ouch). And to avoid further overages, we switched mobile carriers while we were waiting for our internet to return. But life goes on.

Two Firsts With Friends

As I have expressed in previous posts, making friends in a new city is hard. Making new Mom friends in a new city can be even harder. But fortunately things are looking up for me in the Mom friend department! One exciting part of my crazy week was the fact that I had not one, but two plans made to hang out with two new friends. That’s a pretty big deal when you haven’t had any Mom friend time in 6+ months.

During the first half of the week I was lucky enough to attend a fitness class with one of my mom friends. That day itself was full of firsts. For one, I’ve never been to a group fitness class before. Two, I’ve never been to the Monroe Aquatics and Fitness Center (that’s where the class was held). So not only did I get to hang out with another human being other than my children, but I also got to experience a few nice firsts. The yogalates class kicked my butt, but I needed it. If you’re in Monroe or the surrounding areas and you’ve never been to the center, you should definitely check it out. They have so many neat amenities!

The second half of my week included plans to meet yet another Mom friend for coffee. It was a great time at a great location. We got to hang out without our kids, the sun was shining and we got to walk around a peaceful place. You really can’t ask for much more than that.

I am so grateful to have these two ladies in my life right now. I might be a quiet, somewhat introverted person, but I am human. It’s great to know that I’ve got friends close by that I can see from time to time.

A Crazy Week = Crazy Exhaustion

I have been so exhausted lately. I have a few ideas as to why, but I don’t know if it’s just one thing making me extra sleepy or if it’s lots of things. We have been so busy lately. I have somehow overnight become the mother that runs her kids to Occupational Therapy twice a week, Taekwondo twice a week, Girl Scouts every other week, and some random school stuff here and there. It’s a lot to do, especially when it kind of snuck up out of nowhere.

My health is still iffy, too. While the iron infusions seemed to be working, the exhaustion is back. I can barely sit down without wanting to nap right where I sit. Yes, in case you’re wondering, I get all kinds of things checked through blood work every year. Iron, thyroid, B12, etc, etc….it’s a lot. Time after time the only thing that comes back “off” is my iron and red blood-cell-related things. My other culprit: food. Ever since I reintroduced gluten back into my diet (after doing the elimination diet) I’ve been pretty uncomfortable. Like I’ve always said: “My body hates me.”

Why do I tell you all of this? I was talking to my therapist about exhaustion in motherhood the other day. As mothers we take on a lot. Just being a Mom and doing all of the Mom stuff is exhausting. But when you throw that other health-related stuff on top, it can be so exhausting that you are forced to just stop sometimes. She asked me how I can acknowledge myself in these moments, and allow myself to rest. One way is obviously napping, but I can’t do that all of the time (I wish!). Other ways she suggested were meditation and scheduling my tasks. I’m hoping to start working on both over the coming weeks.

How Was Your Week?

How was your week? Are you feeling exhausted like I am? I know that the sunshine today here in Monroe gave me the extra boost that I needed to get through the morning. What do you do to cope when you’re feeling exhausted and overwhelmed?

Let me know how you’re doing and how your week went in the comments below!

-Meg