Exhausted all the time

I get it. It’s exhausting. You muddle through every day. Not sure how you got through Friday and now a weekend of activities, outings, and cleaning. Not sure how you’re going to get it all done.

And sometimes, I don’t get it all done. Sometimes I just prioritize the cleaning. I make sure my little one gets her activities in and then I prioritize the rest. Though some weekends I feel I don’t have the time, therefore I try and I try to get it done throughout the week.

We have swim lessons thirty-five minutes away on Sundays, we also go to the farmer’s market and maybe the grocery store every Saturday. That’s half of each day. The other parts of the days are either cleaning, playing, or getting outside. I try to get all three in but some days it’s just too hard.

I try to keep up during the week but weekends usually are when I pick up the floor, vacuum, and attempt cleaning the carpets. My animals can be dirty and gross and the kiddo is potty training. Carpet cleaning is a must right now. I also try to scrub the carpet with vinegar before I clean it. That’s three rooms at least, to scrub and carpet clean, after vacuuming, after picking everything up and putting it away.

All while I am trying to pick everything up and put it away, the little one is running behind me dumping new things out onto the floor and playing with them. I have to strategically work around her dumping. I do a decent job keeping up on the kitchen and dishes through the week but not always. Like, right now, the kitchen is a mess. It’s so tiny. It piles up quickly and it is so hard to keep on top of.

Right now, I feel like my house is disgusting. Right now, I feel defeated and gross. Right now, I feel tired. But I know I can do hard things and I know I can push through this. I do feel exhausted a lot of the time. Once sleep steadies we hit a growth spurt and sleep is wonky for a week or two. It’s a constant cycle of trying to balance getting things done and getting through the day. I never feel like I actually have the energy to make it, but I make it.

We can all make it. I know if I make it to bedtime I get to sleep. So I push to bedtime even if that means last night we sat on the couch and vegged out. I make it. I don’t always make it. Sometimes I have a meltdown, sometimes I freak out, sometimes I fall asleep, at work, or on the couch, or on her floor while she is playing. Sometimes I have a little hand smacking me in the face saying “mommy wake up!” That’s ok. It’s ok to be tired, it’s ok to get your rest. Rest every chance you get. Try to eat well to help with your energy levels. Drink your water momma. Take care of yourself, so that you can take care of that little one. Even if taking care of yourself means sitting on the couch chilling with your little one because that’s all you can muster.

I always try to do just a little more the next day. Last night we ordered pizza and we sat on the couch. Tonight I will cook, do dishes and play. Tomorrow I am actually scrubbing my carpets finally. But what I am getting at is, no matter what I do or don’t do I am always tired. It’s hard to be a mom, a parent. It’s tiring to be a human and to raise a human, but you can do it. You can do hard things and your little one loves you whether you played and cooked today or whether you paid for food and watched their favorite show. They still love you and you are still doing an amazing job.