A Week At Home & Slowing Down

August 20, 2016

Stop and Smell the Roses

The first few weeks of the school holidays have been non-stop, especially by our standards. I’m not used to us doing so much and it’s a new feeling for us; it’s been exciting and I have loved our adventures. Still home is where the heart is, as they say, and I was looking forward to a week at home just as much. While we have still been fairly busy we have stayed local, catching up with friends and family, having sunny BBQ’s and play dates in between park runarounds and garden picnics.

I love having everyone home and I’m in no rush for Lucas to go back to school but I think these holidays I’ve struggled having everyone around – more than I have in the past anyway. It was such a big adjustment when Lucas started school back in September. At first I hated it but I must admit that I am totally used to it now, so much so it feels a little strange having everyone home. When it’s just me and the twins I’m used to our routine and my way of doing things. I don’t have to explain what I’m doing and I guess I’m pretty quiet in the day just getting on with whatever I want to do, working around the twins obviously!

We don’t have a big home and having my husband home and a new grown up Lucas in the house makes it feel cramped at times. His energy is endless and he runs up and down the hall caught up in imaginary games. I think he is probably so used to the structure of school that maybe he is sometimes at a bit of a loose end too. Sometimes I feel like I’m reaching sensory overload with so much going on in the house and nowhere to go. I’m starting to realise that I find it a bit overwhelming because I’ve not actually been able to switch off from the idea of what I should be doing in an ordinary week. Of course, jobs still need doing but I find it hard to let go of the routine and to just relax and enjoy the days.

While we were away camping I took my favourite magazine, The Simple Things and read a great article in it called, The Lost Art Of Boredom. In seemed particularity apt that I was sat out in a field with nothing to do reading about how we very rarely allow ourselves to be bored anymore. We already know that it’s good for children to be bored, to switch off and have screen free time but it seems to be something we struggle with ourselves. One part of it mentioned sending a text while cooking tea and it’s something I do all the time, I always have my phone with me while I’m cooking. It says that although we think we’re being efficient and multi tasking actually we aren’t allowing our minds the chance to settle, it’s constantly switching between tasks and in the long run it makes is harder for us to concentrate. It struck a chord with me, I was nodding along with it all! I found that while we were camping, with absolutely nothing to distract me, I actually felt more relaxed than I had in months.  The first night we were away I couldn’t sit still, I was up tidying things away and wasn’t sure what to do with myself. However, the second night the boys went to bed much later, we watched them play in the field and read on and off. I sat in my camping chair and listened to my husband read them stories before bed. Then we sat outside together until it got dark, sometimes not even talking. It was bliss and I didn’t feel like all my thoughts were rushing around in my head, for once I wasn’t thinking about things that needed to be done – sometimes you need to just be.

As soon as we were back home the real world creeps back in though and it’s hard to capture that again. That feeling of being restful is something I’m trying to remember, especially when we are in the house. I’m trying not to pick up my phone first thing in the morning and I’ve started bringing a book downstairs with me instead. I’m trying to spend more time writing in my bullet journal rather than going straight onto the computer. I miss my walks on the school run but I’ve made absolutely no effort to just go for a walk myself so that’s something I want to do more. It’s so easy to forget all those tiny simple things that you know make you feel better. I know that the more I slow down, the more I enjoy the boys and I feel like a fun Mum – it’s something for me to work on the the rest of the holidays.

Slowing Down 2

Slowing Down

Slowing Down 3

 

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10 Comments

  • Notmyyearoff

    Lovely post. It’s SO hard to just let yourself get caught up in the moment. I have trouble relaxing too and am very guilty of thinking ahead and worrying when I don’t even need to! Z sounds v much like Lucas right now. Like he’s slightly turbo charged and just wants to do things all the time. I can’t believe how fast the holidays are going though. I’m not ready!

    August 21, 2016 at 11:50 am Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      They do seem to have done so fast don’t they. I’m excited for him when he goes back as he’s so looking forward to it but I will miss him so much! It’s so hard to switch off though, maybe the answer is to go camping more 🙂

      August 23, 2016 at 8:41 pm Reply
  • Rachel @ The Ordinary Lovely

    I read that article to and have thoroughly embraced it. I leave my phone at home if we’re out and about around the village and put it to charge upstairs while I’m making dinner. I’ve also stopped planning as much for the boys so they have to entertain themselves for short periods of time … something they weren’t used to at the beginning of the holidays but now play quite happily (with only moderate violence … they’re still not all that keen on each other).

    August 22, 2016 at 9:26 am Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      It’s great isn’t it Rachel, trouble is it does feel like a bit of a Catch 22 as a blogger. The less I do on my phone the less I want to but then I feel guilty that I’m not keeping up with my blog social media. The last few days I’ve not looked at it at all in the morning and it’s been so nice and I don’t miss as much as I thought I would!

      August 23, 2016 at 8:43 pm Reply
  • Sarah Christie

    Oh I so get this, Joe has driven me mad today but actually he is not doing anything wrong really just going a bit stir crazy from the lack of structure and the rain. When we went away in June to a lodge I completely shut off and it was bliss, I wish I could do that more at home x

    August 22, 2016 at 2:29 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      It’s so hard though isn’t it, especially as a blogger when so much of it is through your phone. I’ve been good now at leaving mine in the morning and late and night and that’s a good compromise for me. Haha, why do boys just have so much energy?! They are nonstop xx

      August 23, 2016 at 8:45 pm Reply
  • Tracey Williams

    I really need to read that article as I too would be sat nodding along. I seem to be constantly staring at my phone lately, and I really need to embrace this and switch off more. My 2 are quite good at entertaining themselves, though I feel guilty if I have nothing planned in for them. My hubby is always saying just enjoy the peace and enjoy doing nothing at home. Hard though isn’t it. Great post Hayley x

    August 24, 2016 at 11:34 am Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I’ve been quite good at leaving my phone alone the last week or so and it feels great! I don’t really miss it and I don’t actually miss that much on it, I thought there would be loads to catch up on but it’s not been too bad. It’s so hard to get the balance right though, especially when you’re a blogger, I think we are so used to trying to do it all! xx

      August 29, 2016 at 10:33 pm Reply
  • natalie

    I always say to my husband we have created monsters because we do so much all the time that now when we try to have lazy days of doing nothing they simply cant cope – they struggle to entertain themselves – I am not sure how to fix this but it is something that we need to look at, especially now baby 3 is on the way and we will no doubt need some lazy days!!

    Glad you are enjoying the summer though lovely x

    August 25, 2016 at 4:48 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Lazy days with newborns just aren’t quite the same when you have older children are they? I know what you mean, I always think it will be nice to have a quiet day in and then to boys drive us up the wall – doesn’t happen all the time though, sometimes they’re fine, I’ve no idea what the secret it 🙂 They always keep us guessing cc

      August 29, 2016 at 10:35 pm Reply

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