Home: House is a mess again. I feel like, superficially, I’ve undone all the work I put in for our trip last February. I know that’s not true because the drawers and boxes and still organized and I know where stuff is. But it’s definitely time to purge a bunch of stuff again, especially in the kids’ rooms. I know things need to feel out-of-control for me to get into a “just get rid of it” mindset and for me to take the time to actually go through stuff to purge it. My guess is I’ll get there sometime next month. If I do it before Son’s 11th birthday I will be super stoked.
Family: Daughter now has lots of homework and is figuring out how to manage that, while still making it to swimming three times a week. It’s stressful and we’re all feeling it. Son had friends over a couple times this past week. Hopefully that will be possible at least once a week moving forward. Husband is falling back into pit of despair. He’s exhausted and despondent much the work week. I’m trying not to spiral about it. I’m dropping many hints about him at least trying an antidepressant. He’s not totally against it but also doesn’t seem interested.
Work: Classes continue to go well, but there are already a lot of behavior issues, especially in my 8th grade classes where the kids have had me for 1.5 years already. I had to send three kids out of the room on Thursday and then send emails home. It made the rest of the day feel very heavy and I was struggling not to project “this wil suck” energy toward the rest of the school year. Having said all that, I’m satisfied with how I handled it. I stayed calm and didn’t raise my voice. I hope that I’m being clear and consistent enough with my expectations now that the rest of the year will get better. All the appendages crossed. Oh, and tech fixed my chromebook so for right this minute I have exactly as many as needed. PLLLLEEEAAASSSSEEE let that remain the case this year!!!
Exercise: M: 30min 50/50 Bike Bootcamp w/ Tunde, CG Deadbug core. 10min arms + shoulders (w/o lateral lifts). Tu: Sparring concepts + sparring. W: rest. Th: 30min glutes + abs, 10min stability ball abs, 10min arms + shoulders (w/o lateral lifts). F: rest. Sa: Teach teens + 45 mins sparring. Su: 45 min full body bike boot camp. (At least that is the plan for Sunday, we’ll see).
I will say that I was working out a pretty solid 5 times a week for a while and I’m trying to step away from that. I do think my life feels more manageable when I work out four times a week. I’m trying to really make those four times feel worthwhile, which means I’ll add some strength onto a running day, or add abs to most other workouts.
Dojo: I’m stepping up more at the dojo. I’m going to more classes and teaching more classes. It’s generally understood that I am one of the few higher belts that is “locked in” (as the youths say). Wednesday I taught Teens, yesterday I assisted kids and today I’m teaching Teens again. It feels good to be such a big part of the changes happening there. I just hope it continues to be sustainable.
Fun: Book club is later today. I didn’t read the book (Wandering Stars), but it sounds like most people didn’t finish it so oh well. I refuse to stress about book club, and it will be nice to see everyone (I missed last month and before that we met in late May). Tomorrow is the 4th/5th grade picnic for Son’s school. I do not love events like that, but it will give us an easy opportunity for him to see his friends without me hosting, and to get outside. Monday my husband and I are seeing Pulp (Brit pop band of my late 90s/early 2000s young adulthood and meeting two of my high school friends for dinner beforehand. I do feel a fair amount of trepidation about being out late on a Monday, but I’m trying to accept it and let excitement and anticipation win over.
Finishing this on the bus again and I’m just going to hit publish, because if I don’t I’ll have to add one more thing and make it a “Seven on Sunday” post. 😏
I read another blog (To Love and To Learn) and she actually tracked the number of things that came into her house for an entire month and it was eye-opening. I don’t have children (she has four) and I think a lot of people who are struggling with decluttering are struggling because so much stuff comes in without us really being aware of it! Good luck with the decluttering. It can make life appear so much easier when our surroundings are tidy and organized!
Part of depression, as you know and see regularly, is the inability to take action to correct it…. like asking for antidepressants. City government jobs these days are simply very hard. And,being grateful he isn’t working in Springfield OH isn’t an answer for you, but I can be grateful for your whole family his job isn’t there.
Yes, another purging is probably due. Your families ages means lots of unseen stuff flows in all the time and you are probably the only one who is able to make any of it flow back out.
Do hope your clarity with class about behaviors straightens their minds and actions. Middle school is tough on everyone. Best wishes!
I admire that you have a fun category… I need to get better with that. When I was depressed I could not do anything fun but your husband seems to be okay with going to concerns- good for him! I hope he opens up to the possibility of medicine- I resisted for a long time because I “was strong and didn’t need it.” I did.