Learning Limits

I haven't been feeling as upbeat lately.  This is exhausting.  Paul's back so that's good, but aside from filming on decent days, Paul has editing work, and aside from instructing, my job comes with many meetings, course revisions, curriculum and program development, professional development, marking and today, a certain issue that has come up with a student that has been rather consuming.

Wednesday and Thursday I reserve to be with the girls all day before I head to work in the early evening on Thursday.  Unfortunately many meetings get scheduled on Thursdays.  I usually opt out with seems to have been accepted, but yesterday was one which needed me there.  So, I took the girls!  I think it was refreshing for everyone having them there although it made it a bit hard to get through my agenda item and a couple of my colleagues looked a little perplexed by my allowing Halle to eat off the floor (or was that my imagination?).  Anneka was really excited to see where I work, check out the classrooms, ride the elevator and eat in the cafeteria afterward.  Halle was feeling super social and crawling around and visiting people during the meeting and in the cafeteria.  I was able to introduce them to a number of my students that also have little kids which was quite fun for me, and I hope I made a bit of a point about scheduling meetings on certain people's days off!!  (A little side agenda!)

I guess the silver lining in all of this is that my family time is sacred and not to be wasted or wished away.  But as I said before the lack of personal time is taking a toll.

On Wednesday I took the girls to the Callaghan Nordic Site again.  It was a another beautiful day.  This time I discovered my limits.  I took Anneka's downhill skis and boots and the plastic sled and carried all this gear in the chariot.  We stopped at the learning area, strapped on Anneka's boots and skiis and with Halle on my back practiced making "pizza" (snowplough) and "french fries" and tromping around.  Mostly she was between my legs.  I had some trouble getting her boots on her and getting Halle strapped on my back and although she enjoyed it, Halle did not.  Then I put them in the sled and sent them down the little hill.  That was much easier.  I sent them down a bigger hill.  They capsized and Halle rodeo rolled over and over about three or four times.  She was really upset, I felt bad.  It was too much work for me.  It was mentally exhausting staying patient and upbeat and physically taxing.

Finally I went for a ski, but by that time the kids had finished there snacks and were ready to get inside out of their gear and have some lunch, so I had to cut it short.  I felt a bit sorry for myself because what I really wanted was to go for a vigorous ski.

It is a nice lodge and even mid-week there are other mums and kids there so it is always a nice social time for me and the girls.  We hang out on the couches by the fireplace and Halle gets to stretch her limbs.  Aside from C, I have yet to see another parent, let alone mum, hauling two little kids around.  I'm sure they exist but they are few and far between.  So if I can't manage the ski-learning/sledding part as well, I don't feel so bad.  With all this effort and activity you'd think I'd be losing weight ...but no.  I don't understand; maybe it's a change in my metabolism.