Afternoon Off Part 2

I have one half day per week. Usually on my half day I come home and get some chores done or I run a few errands. Occasionally I make plans to meet a friend for lunch or go shopping. Since I have been back to work after having Griffin I have not had a relaxing half day. I have been coming home and scrubbing floors or toilets, doing laundry, paying bills, prepping meals for the remainder of the week...and the list goes on and on. I am the type of person that feels so much more focused and in a better state of mind if I have stuff organized and things crossed off my to do list. However this past week I reached a breaking point. I NEED a BREAK! Between working full time, and being a mom I am rather burned out. I start my day at 5, leave at 7 with both kids and its off to daycare then to work. As soon as I finish with my morning patients its a race to the daycare to nurse Griffin, usually I eat the lunch I pack while driving. Then its more work and then race to pick up kids. Home to cook dinner while dealing with temperamental 3 year old and a baby that just wants to nurse! I sit down to eat and usually have to get up 2-3 times during the meal. Half the time while I am eating Griffin is nursing or now I am trying to feed him baby food in between my bites. Tubbies, bedtime stories, brush teeth and bed for Syd. Then more nursing, kitchen cleanup, wash bottles and get organized to do it all again the next day. Any idea why I am exhausted. Bill and I were talking Sunday about how I feel and where things are these days and he just about insisted I take some time for myself. He is so supportive and helpful but I still feel like a lot is on my shoulders. So we decided the first place to start is that this week my half day was mine. No work all fun!
I left my office around 12 and headed to Greensboro. I ate lunch by myself at Panera (one of my favs) while reading a book. I caught myself eating fast and had to tell myself to slow down and relax. Then I headed to target. I felt as light as a feather getting in and out of the car without any kids, diaper bags, breast pump bag etc. I had time to stop and look at things and get a few things for Syd that she has needed. I then went over to Stride rite to look at shoes for Syd but I am waiting to buy them because they have a sale starting next week. I wrote down what I want so Bill can stop and pick them up. Again in and out of the car so quickly which was great because it was rain/snowing. I went into Barnes and Noble and ordered a Cafe Mocha and sat in a big comfy chair with my book. It took me some time to relax...slow down and breathe... but finally I was so relaxed I fell asleep. I do not even care what the people around me thought. I hope I did not snore or make any snorting noises (because I am a little congested) but oh well if I did. I glanced around at the kid books for a few minutes and headed back to town to pick up kids. In the car I listened to adult music (Keith Urban) not a kids song CD. I had a great day and was very relaxed and rejuvenated when I got to the daycare.
I cannot take every afternoon that I have off to relax because there is just too much to do and it is a great time to get some stuff done while the kids are still at school and I am not falling asleep, but I am going to make an effort to make some of these days "me time". Please do not misinterpret how I feel about being a mom, I would not trade my life for anyone else's but I do need a break at times. When I have some time to myself to get rejuvenated then I am a better mom. I like some of the ways other people said they would spend their time. I would also enjoy getting some exercise, scrap booking, gardening (when the weather is nicer), reading a book in my sun room or at the pool, going to a movie, baking....so many hobbies and options.