You Just Need To

I've been a little touchy lately. I know the reasons why but I won't bore you with the details. There's simply a lot going on right now and I'm struggling to keep my head above water. In fact, my head isn't actually above water. I am just below the surface and can see what's going on but I'm drowning.


There's been a lot of pressure put on me (both by others and by myself). Some I can fix, some I can't. I need to let the pressure I can't fix go and focus on what I can fix.


But I've been hearing a lot of "you just need to....".


But those that say those words to me have no grasp of what my life is like. I work a 40hr a week job but have to drive an additional two plus hours each day (coming and going), there's also time I need to spend with my kids when they first get home. There's supper, there's cleaning. It's all stuff people do on a normal basis...but then add in a baby. Then add in 16 horses to care for. Then add in a new dog to bond and work with. It all takes time.  Oh, and add in two remodels.


So, lets swap shoes for a little while and tell me that my life is easy and that it's simple.
Here's my schedule:


5:20am alarm goes off. Snooze because I'm exhausted
5:50am finally crawl out of bed (yes I could do more in that half an hour but my body requires eight hours of sleep and I typically only get six and those are never consecutive)
6:15am leave for work (after rushing to get ready)
7:00am start work
3:30pm leave work
4:10pm arrive at daycare to pick up kids
4:20-4:30pm leave for home
5:00pm arrive at home, hang with kids, and start some type of skirt work
5:30pm start supper
6:30pm have supper and then go outside to get some fresh air with the kids
7:00pm baths
8:00pm bedtime for kids (by this time it's dark)
9:00pm go out and do chores, clean up supper, take care of dogs/cat
10:00pm done with chores and go inside (shower and get ready for bed)
11:00pm go to bed


Sleep for 6.5 hours but wake up in the middle of the night to check on kids and then start the day over. There's no room for anything else. Chores take a little longer because I do them in the dark. I sometimes can start chores while we are outside playing after supper but I can't count on it.


Oh sure I could give up time with my kids but they are small. At some point, they won't be around and I want to enjoy their time now while they want to be around me. But tell me...can you handle my day, everyday? There's no room for much else. So the "all you have to do is..." and "you just need to..." crap doesn't have any allotted space in my schedule. Tell me how to fit it in and we'll see.


Add to that mess of a schedule two house remodels and trying to spend some quality family time with extended family on the weekends. It doesn't leave time for anything else.


So before you tell me "you just need to...", put yourself in my shoes for a little while before giving me advice.