A Treat for Myself

Last week I finished a big freelance project I have been working on, so my schedule is a little bit more free this week.  (Cue the music!)

Yesterday, my online students seemed to decide that they deserved an extra long weekend, and I had only 8 assignments and quizzes to grade.  That's a new low record!  I have about 150 students, and I usually grade MUCH MUCH more than that each day.

During my 18-month old's naptime, I was a little stunned at the emptiness in my gradebook.  With no freelance gigs in the works, I was a little bit lost with myself.  What am I going to do for the next two hours?!

For about 2.5 seconds I considered doing some of the extra organizing, cleaning, and maintenance tasks I push to the side, both in my home and my virtual classroom.

But with all the enthusiasm of a kid on a snow day, I shouted FREE DAY!!!



(Okay, fact check: I didn't really shout.  C'mon, it was naptime!  But I did think it very enthusiastically.)

I grabbed my bible and spent some time reading, took a nap, and woke up in time to check my gradebook again.  Still empty.  (As a teacher, I was a bit worried about the lack of progress my students were making.  As a person, I was thrilled with the lack of work to do.  See!  Teachers are people, too!)  With a few minutes to go before naptime was over, I cracked open one of the last boxes of Girl Scout cookies hiding in our freezer, and cozied up with a parenting magazine that came in the mail.  Ironically, one of the articles was about taking time, especially during naps, to do something that re-energizes you.  Ha!  Here I was, actually doing that!

I know that yesterday was a special treat.  As a full-time WAHM, naps are usually spent furiously writing, grading, and responding to emails.  But I realized something important.  Even though most of those times are spent working, I still sneak in little ways to re-energize myself.

Here are a few things that I do to re-boost my energy when I have those few precious moments:

grab a quick snack that I don't have to share
(Hey, I'm also 5 months pregnant. What do you expect?)

turn the radio to something other than my children's stations on Pandora

take a few minutes to fix my hair or makeup, even if I don't plan to leave the house

organize my desk for a few minutes

pick up the toys scattered around the floor

watch 10 minutes of TLC or CNN

Your list might be totally different.  God made each of us unique, and what re-boosts me might exhaust (or bore) someone else.  But I encourage you to find something to fill up your gas tank so that you can keep going when naptime--or Sesame Street--or time out--is over.

Keep on truckin',
Lisa