Pockets of Time

I feel like all I do lately is complain that I'm behind the 8 ball. Last week, we were out of milk for 2 days before I could make time to go grocery shopping. I finally squeezed in 30 minutes to race to the store before volunteering at Kaylin's school at 8:30 one morning - and that was only because I had to pick up my contribution for the Valentine's Day party. How ridiculous is that?

The problem seems to be that I'm out of the habit of doing certain things in pockets of time. There are certain tasks that should be done while Jason naps while others, like errands, need to be done immediately after he eats, yet they must be completed before he naps again. I've finally figured out that he's outgrown sleeping in his infant carrier, which is a shame. He also seems to have too much trouble staying asleep in loud environments like the nursery at Kaylin's school, the gym daycare and at church. I remember the other kids going through this, too, but it's just really inconvenient. Now that I've accepted these two facts, I guess I can begin to plan my days accordingly.

Being that this is my third Baby Wise baby, I should have this figured out by now, right? I know when Jason is awake and I know how long he sleeps. I can predict how long I'll have to do things or go places based on his schedule and things will go smoothly if I can just get back into the habit of being near a crib during naptimes. If we're at a friend's house for a playdate and I can set up a Pack 'n' Play, no problem, but other than that, I need to plan on being home.

It looks like I'm going to be home a lot until he moves to a four hour schedule. (*sigh*) That's fine, I guess. All the more time to get my act together in keeping up with the house. I just need to remember to be aware of the windows of opportunity to do longer tasks versus shorter tasks. I think I'm out of the habit of taking advantage of a free 10 minutes. Instead of checking my email, I could use that time to unload the dishwasher or do a clean sweep of toys on the floor or clutter on the countertops. Instead of starting a project that I know I won't be able to finish, I could start one that can be done in pieces, like laundry (bring down clothes, start a load, fold, bring upstairs, put away). I've stopped thinking of tasks in chunks of time and I need to mentally get back to that place. With daily chores, my grand to do list, even exercise can be done in short blocks of time.

I feel better already. Sometimes I just need to talk through the process. Time to feed the baby! (and so the cycle continues...)