How I do it

 It seems like every day at least one person says to me "I don't know how you do it." They mean, work full time, go to school 3/4 time, and still have time for my family. To be honest, I'm not really sure how I do it either. I just do. Most days I only get about 4 hours of sleep. I pay for that on the weekends. I am usually in bed by 10 or 11p.m. and sleep until 7a.m. Let me tell you, that messes with the 3rd shift work schedule. On Wednesdays I have class after work. By the time I get home it's time for lunch, which is the only time I get to see my fiancee during the week, and after that I have maybe an hour before Parker gets done with school. Thank you school district for getting out an hour early every single Wednesday...can someone please tell me why this is necessary? With everything else I still find time for myself. I have my bestest best friend to thank for that. My weight has been spiriling out of control the last couple of years. I have made every excuse in the book as to why it didn't matter. One of them being time. When did I have time to work out?

Well let me tell you, making the time to work out has been one of the best things I have done lately. Life is stressful, everyone seems  to think I make my crazy schedule look easy, but it comes with a lot of stress. During the week I am pretty much a single parent. Brian works 2nd shift so he is gone before Parker gets done with school. So homework supper and "tubbies" are all up to me. I have always said that I didn't have my son so that I could ignore him. But I have learned that taking time to workout is by no means ignoring him. In fact, it has been one more activity that we have started doing together. I am trying to teach my son healthy habits so he never has to get to the point that I hit. I am looking forward to this summer and getting outside to run with him. He loves to just go go go so why not let him? Sometimes he doesn't want to work out with me when I do it, so he just does what he does. He is after all, almost 6. He is capable of playing upstairs by himself long enough for me to work out and shower. He actually told me I didn't work out long enough the other day, his show wasn't over with yet.

Going back to school a year ago was a big decision that affected the stress in my life. It has been stressfull, but worth it. I realized that putting it off wasn't going to make it any easier. Now I am mad that I didn't go back sooner. But, that's the past and I am focused on the present. I do this because I want to be the best possible version of myself!

A couple weeks ago Ashley and I went to yoga on Thursday instead of Friday, before class starts we always get a quote to come back to during our yoga. On that particular day the quote was "Be the change you wish to see in the world" from Ghandi. I have come back to that quote several time since then. Iam not thinking so much the world, but my family. I wish for my son to go to college, so that is why I do it. I wish for my son to make healthy choices, so that is why I do it. Honestly I don't know how I do it some days either, but I do it. I don't think about it, I just do it. It needs to be done. I've got no time for excuses anymore.

And to end my post today, I got the rest of my Valentine's Day present from Brian this past weekend!!! Her name is ShelLdon (yes the second L is capitalized on purpose) and she is a Greek tortoise. Parker has decided that her middle name is "the tortoise" so her full name would be ShelLdon The Tortoise Bernard. (Please do not tell her that ShelLdon is a boys name, I had it picked out before I knew she was a girl and I was pretty stuck on it.) Anyway, she is quite amuzing and I am rather enjoying her. I guess that's good because their average lifespan is 50 years with some of them living as long as 70.

 The guy at the pet store said it could take a few months for her to get comfortable, but she is already really sociable. Whenever I pick her up she sticks her head and legs out instead of pulling them in. She was soaking in her water bowl today which is a great sign that she is all comfy in her new home. So we are now getting quite the zoo in our house. 3 humans a boxer, guinea pig, and a tortoise.

Have a fantastic day!!!!