Tuesday 17 May 2016

Self Care for the Stressed Mumma

It's no secret that our household is stressed. From the financial stress of less money coming in, but the same amount of bills going out, to a teenager who isn't quite sure how to deal with anger except to explode all over the house, there's a lot of pressure on both Steve and I. And while we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, there are some days that we submit to the stress, and wallow, and become overwhelmed by it.
Sometimes, though, people will surprise you, pulling you out of the mud in the most unexpected ways, and allowing you some breathing space. We had one such experience just last week - a work mate of Steve's offered us free accommodation on the Sunshine Coast for a few days. He'd actually offered it to us back in April, and we'd said yes, but it became too complicated to go when we realised we'd forgotten about the NAPLAN testing Douglas needed to do last week, so we'd moved the trip to the too-hard basket.
But, on short notice, with very little budget flexibility, we manage an overnight escape, which was just what the doctor ordered.
The view from our sixth floor apartment was spectacular.
The water was freezing cold.
Who cares if you can't swim, it's water!
We managed to move away from the pool long enough to wander across the road, check out the crab pots Steve's friend had thrown in, and paddle in the salty water.
After an early dinner of fisha dn chips in the courtyard, Steve and I sat on the balcony drinking wine while the kids snuggled down for an early night in front of the tv.
Then I got to sit on the balcony and watch the sun come up, completely free of any noise.
There were some imperfect moments, like the room not actually having enough beds, and Douglas being relegated to couch cushions on the floor, and kids bickering and tripping over each other, but moments like these, where they worked together to put the breakfast dishes away, reminded us that they're really good kids at heart.

When was the last time you went away?

linking with Essentially Jess for ibot
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5 comments

  1. Perfect, Cate. When everything is going pear shaped in our lives, a break is often just what we need. Even a small one. Just the novelty of being somewhere else gives me such perspective and a feeling of hope. I am so glad you got this opportunity. And from one anger-shielding mum to another: we got this. We'll be okay. x

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  2. Love it that the little boy is wearing his mask and snorkel in the kitchen. Makes everything look 'normal'. haha

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  3. You've made me realise we probably really need a family holiday too. We haven't had a holiday since I was pregnant.

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    1. came here before I realised it was my #teamIBOT number too, whoops!

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