I am sitting on the couch having raspberry leaf tea (an iced tea version, actually because I had forgotten that I had made it this morning and discovered it in a lukewarm state later). I woke up this morning knowing I needed a restful day, which is my goal still. But restful is a relative term...

First I made scrambled eggs with chives on toast covered in garlic hummus. Then the sourdough needed attention, so I fed it and then made John's lunch for work. He ended up biking there because the weather is so nice. Then I used some of my sourdough starter to make an enormous ball of dough which is rising very slowly. I had Annie upstairs cleaning her room and then I sorted laundry and sat down here to write. While I'm writing Annie and I are playing the instructions game - I give her a set of funny things to do that she has to remember in order, and it gets harder every time. She thinks its hilarious, lol, and she doesn't know she's practicing listening.

So how am I resting? I normally walk Annie to school and back every afternoon, but on Friday's her little class is only an hour instead of 2.5. Since it takes me 12 minutes there and back (it's only 2 blocks away but I am so huge it takes me forever), I pretty much have to leave as soon as I get home, and it wears me out. So she's just not going to go. You can see where my priorities are, lol.

In July I am starting school, working towards a science degree from home. I will have to transfer to on-campus classes in a couple of years, but these first credits I can do at home. At the same time I will have three kids, I want to continue to do these healthy food choices like making homemade bread, and my garden will continue to expand. If I think about it too much, it seems a bit overwhelming. It seems to be a common theme on many of the blogs I read... how to handle the overwhelming stress of all of our self-inflicted projects and goals? Here are some of the ways I get lots of stuff done, without stressing out.

1. Prioritize your day first thing when you wake up in the morning. I used to need to write a list down of all the stuff I wanted to get done and then number them by what had to get done, rather than what I wanted to do. This is tricky - often I just want to be writing, playing or any number of diversions, but laundry has to get done. Children need to be fed, lol. Now I make a mental list when I wake up, and decide what 3 things need to get done first thing in the morning.

2. Never procrastinate. I procrastinate just like anybody else, but it is something I am constantly battling. If I think of something I need to do, I do it right then or I will forget. If I can't do it right then, I set up a reminder in iCal to email me when I do need to do it.

3. Make a mental shift that de-categorizes the stuff you have to do. This is hard to explain, and even more difficult to do. This is a lesson that I have practiced every day since reading Creating True Peace and The Continuum Concept... and I emphasize the word practice because it is an ongoing goal. The trick is to think of everything as equally valuable, equally enjoyable, and part of the natural flow of your day. For example, sometimes I impatiently want to get done with the endless dishes so I can have a rest... but the dishes can be relaxing too. It is equally valuable, and can be equally enjoyable. I sometimes feel pressured to conform to social expectations like greeting cards or having my house a certain way (or not a certain way), and believing that those aren't necessary can give me the freedom to show appreciation other ways or having the house how we need it. Thinking about how much time school will take can stress me out until I realize how much time I spend on the computer and doing nothing during the day, and having an attitude that school assignments can be just as fun.

Life is an ongoing education, but its not supposed to be a race or a competition. Enjoy it!