ME? Who is that?

I recently finished reading "Scream Free Parenting." It is a different approach to parenting, but one that has been successful thus far in my experience.

It reminded me that I am still a person.

How many of you get lost in your children, and forget to take care of yourself?

I think it begins in that newborn stage, when you go days without showering because the baby won't sleep, doesn't like the bassinett, your terrified you won't hear them wake up/spitup, or you're just too exhausted to do anything other than lay there once the baby does go to sleep. From that point on, any "good" mommy puts her children first, right?

If you read the book, the answer to that is:

WRONG!

But let's not just go by the book, let's figure it out for ourselves.

I have recently realized I have aged about ten years since I had my first little boy (Gavin) 2 1/2 years ago. And I think it's because I have run myself into the ground trying to keep the house cleaned, the laundry and dishes done, working to make extra money, and the most important.. taking care of him, playing, teaching, and learning right with him. i stopped hanging out with (most) of my friends, and didn't care to make new friends, We took Gavin everywhere with us and rarely had date nights, when we did it was a redbox movie and one of us always seemed to fall asleep.  When I was pregnant with number 2 (Ian) I realized I needed more friends, more adult socialization, more adult (THINGS) in my life. So i joined MOMS Club.

(Which is an amazing organization and you should look for one near you!)

That helped with it, along with getting involved in my wonderful church, joining a book club, and bible study, and spending more time with my closest friends.

But I realized I was missing something else after I read the book.

ME TIME.

But what is that, aren't I doing enough?

I have no idea? I think I have a balancing problem.

So that leads me to the ultimate question..

What do YOU do for "me time?"

What helps you clear your mind, and make you happy?

Because I seem to always be doing something for somebody else. I do enjoy it, and I do choose to do so, but i'd like to make ME happy too.