I Got My Mojo Back

It may be a slightly tentative position but for now, at least, I have my mojo back. Don't go all Austin Powers on me, I'm not talking about my sex drive. More my energy.

I'm sleeping well again!! Yay!!

Not long back I was suffering from a severe lack of sleep and moreover, broken sleep. I blogged about it here and at the time I thought it had a lot to do with my kids (LOVE those little tykes) and their sleep patterns. I tried a few different things .. thanks for the tips, it all helped because in the end, a few good nights kip was all I needed to break the old routine.

My kids slept well most nights, I just had to stop myself waking up in the early hours to 'check on them'.

And now (I can hear a drumroll, is it just me?) I've broken the habit. Sleeping like a log most nights. Hoo-f*@king-rah I could kiss Celine Dion right now, I'm so happy.

For a while there, I think I forgot who I was. So many months (actually, years) of lacking and unsatisfactory sleep, I was running long busy days on half battery. Scrap that. I was running on low battery. A very low battery was what I was running on, let us be honest. Some days, just on my reserves.

But now she's back! From outer space .. no, don't go there.


And I really feel 'back'. Energised. Dammit, just awake. Non-zombie. Normal. Me!

The house is a bit tidier and cleaner. Laundry mountain is a bit smaller, more of a hill. Kids are getting more attention, they're happier. Hubby's getting more attention, he's happier. I'm giving myself more attention, I'm happier.

Things are getting organised better, I'm working more. Planning and doing proactive stuff too dudes. Oh yeah.

You wouldn't believe it from the chick who normally struggles to just keep up with her boys and their needs and messes every day and falls asleep on the couch most evenings not long after getting the kids down.

It's making me realise something about myself too. I've had thoughts in the past that I may have (along with most of the rest of us seemingly) slight OCD tendencies. But as I'm getting back on my feet and back on top of things, I'm beginning to realise that I have 'a way' of doing most things in my day to day activities and a lot of my quirks, my 'me-isms' are just exactly that. Me.

My brain works in such a way, it likes to problem solve. No matter what I'm at, my brain (I guess meaning, my sub conscious) will try and figure out the quickest and most efficient way of doing things.

It used to apply really well in my working career, I was a P.A., a Legal Secretary and an Office Manager. I organised and problem solved all day long. Well, when I wasn't busy on Facebook.

Now I manage my own home and my own office. That'll be just me (Hi!), and Hubby on occasion when I'll let him sit in the chair. And my planning and problem solving applies just as much. I don't freak out if things get done a different way or anything, sure that'll come a bit later when I get old and grumpy, but all my little ways are to me the best way of doing it and I couldn't sway from them if I tried.

I do most of my chores in auto pilot, so ritual am I in my way of doing things, I can switch off and think of other things. Like my next blog post. Or cakes.

I'll give you some examples as it might explain what I mean better. See if it makes sense to anybody except me!

Washing dishes: (dishwasher companies can contact me about sending me freebies here). Must stack first, clear all food debris etc off then I wash cutlery and glasses first, then crockery and plastics, pans last. Rinse it all off with hot (boiled) water, leave it to dry. Which it does quick if you rinse it with hot water.

Laundry: The machine's doing it, nothing much can be done to speed the process up although thanks to my Dads recent tip, I now dissolve the laundry powder in a cup of hot water before I start and I live in a hot and sunny country, so the coloureds always get turned inside out before they go on the line to help prevent the colours fading. And when I take it off the line, I turn it back and fold as I go - it saves time later and I take it off the line in 'people' too i.e. all Hubbys stuff first, then mine, then kids. Then I can just walk around the house with my basket of clean clothes, all folded and ready to be thrown put away neatly in cupboards and draws. I don't iron. I'll say that again in case you weren't sure I meant it, I don't iron. Hubby says that's one of the first things I told him about myself after we met.

Tidying Kids Rooms: I sweep everything on the floor into the middle (or else I'm going to bend down a million times) and then sort through it, toy boxes within throwing reach so I can chuck put away nicely as I sort. Same applies to tidying any room to be honest, you know how kids toys spread around the house? I have a toy box in the Dining Room, the Lounge and the Bathroom too, it's the quickest way to tidy. And why should they keep all their stuff in their bedrooms? My belonging's are not all in my bedroom.

Cleaning Bathroom: Cleaner down toilet, close lid on it. Wash sink and mirror, use handtowel to dry and shine (I'm putting fresh towels out). Now scrub toilet and flush, use towel again to dry and polish outside of toilet and then throw all towels outside the door ready for transfer to laundry and hang fresh towels. Empty bin and take the rubbish and dirty towels, come back with mop and hot, bubbly water and mop down tiled walls, shower cubicle and finally floor. Gee whiz, I have a 'way' of cleaning the bathroom. And I'm blogging about it. Hi world, just crazy ol' me here!

Going Out with Kids: Make sure kids are washed and suitably dressed to go. Pack a bag for them - nappies, wipes, bottles of water, possibly some munch but if the kids are hungry we're feeding them first or going out for food. A change of clothes for both and some cash for anything else I might need for them. If I packed everything I might need for the kids every time we went out, we'd stay in frankly. Check car seats are in, check own appearance and make relevant adjustments (freshen breath, squirt of perfume, sunglasses). Everyone had a wee? Do I need one? Grab camera, keys, phone, cash, bag I packed and kids. Lock house, strap kids in and join Hubby in car where he's always already waiting. But then, all he had to do was grab his keys and his smokes.

Work: This, for me, is almost entirely computer based. Day to day, Hubby handles sales, product design and he site manages every job. I do all the office based work. Years of working in front of a screen and I have little Weeza methods for almost everything I do. I use templates, shortcuts, spreadsheets linked to orders linked to invoicing. Quick fixes, cheats, whatever I can think of to make my work organised, quick and efficient. Mr Gates, I know your programs well.

I have a routine to my entire day really, or at least a loosely planned attempt at one. Best laid plans of mice and women and all that. It starts with Hubby's coffee and wake up, kids breakfast and dressing, has two hours allowed for work in the middle and it ends with 'the busy bit' (or 'Suicide Hour' as I read another Blogging Mum refer to it recently) of dinner, kids bath and bed. Although the routine often times breaks down, should that occur I try not to panic or tantrum, I have back up plans a plenty. I can go all the way to 'Plan Z'.

My evenings are deliciously freeeeeeeeee of any routine or planning and whilst I currently still have some of that energy left at the end of my day, I aim to keep it that way.

Watch out Hubby, we have 'Evenings' again. And I'm still awake baby, I'm still awake.