Welcome to Fitness Friday! I’m starting this new series in order to keep myself on track with my fitness goals and hopefully encourage you along the way.

This week I went swimming with the kids twice this week. I definitely feel the results of the swimming! My shoulders and back are pretty sore right now, which means I am gaining new muscle. I am hopeful to get to the pool three times next week! It is a great way to exercise.

We also went for two short walks around our neighborhood. I miss the days when the kids would ride in the carriage because I could walk at a fast pace and I didn’t have to keep everyone on course. However, it has been great to stroll around with a couple of our friends. The kids keep each other company and the moms get a chance to chat. So far our walks have been spontaneous. Perhaps we will schedule them some time in the future.

I have been unsuccessful with getting to bed earlier most nights. I don’t understand why I’m not getting to bed since I am so tired at the end of the day. I suppose the I want to feel like I am a grown up. I have to get to bed earlier this coming week!

My new goal is to stop snacking at night. If anyone has a good suggestion for how to avoid late night munching, I would love to hear it. I need all the help I can get!

Photo courtesy of Tom@HK

I wonder if you and your husband have experienced this same scenario. Picture this.

It’s late at night. We are both tired. We are both snuggled comfortably in our bed. Then we hear a little one cry and call for Mommy. (They always call for Mommy, don’t they?) There is a moment of silence in which you both pretend to be sleeping. The crying continues. Without opening my eyes, I beg for E to go take care of the problem. He reluctantly gets up to see what is the matter. He stumbles through a conversation with the little one, and puts her back to bed. The screaming protest begins. E shuts the door and returns to bed. The screaming continues, so I send him back – a few times. Finally, I give in and get up to deal with the little one. The little one settles down for a few more hours, and mom and dad try to go back to sleep.

The next day we are all exhausted. Is there a better way?

Photo by Cane Rosso

What a blessing I have received today! A friend, KB, who I am just getting to know, graciously offered to take my kiddos out for a couple of hours so I can get a break. I am so thankful that God put this on her heart. God knows that I really do need a little bit of time to myself to relax and enjoy His gifts. (1 Timothy 6:17) With E in school days are pretty long for me and the workload is pretty hefty. God provides everything we need, though! (2 Peter 1:3-4) I am going to put my feet up and relax with my wonderful God!

Rest.

It is such a simple word, yet it has so much meaning. There is physical rest and then there is emotional and spiritual rest. I am learning so much about rest these days. God has definitely been whispering in my ear shouting about it. At Mom to Mom I heard about resting in God. Our small group just read a couple of passages about getting your priorities in order. Since September my ladies’ Bible study has been reading Hebrews. I have heard about rest again and again lately. It is time to take the hint!

• God rested on the seventh day because the work of creation was complete and good. (Genesis 2:2)
• God has a plan for us all and uses everything for our good. (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28)
• I do not have to worry because God will protect me and my children. (Psalm 18:2; Philippians 4:6)
• Just as Mary did, I must stay focused on Jesus in order to feel the rest that God has offered me or I will be distracted. (Luke 10:41)
• I have to have faith in order to enter God’s rest. (Hebrews 11:1)

I am going to take these Scriptures to heart. I will meditate on them and pray about them. I intend to enter God’s rest! Do you have any Scriptures that help you enter God’s rest?

I usually sleep during nap time because my kids are so busy. I am simply exhausted. With all of the sleeping problems that we have had these days, I have really needed the nap, but I don’t always get it. Today the kids actually fell asleep for a long while at nap time, so I decided to take time for me. I did some work on the computer, but I knew that I truly needed to rest before the peace was over, so I caught a few z’s on the couch.

Well, I was still sleeping when C4 woke up. She tried everything to get me to get up including bouncing on top of me. I just needed the rest so I kept my eyes closed and told her that I would get up soon. She even tried to impress me by reading a word on one of her books. She then proceeded to show me how she could find smaller words within that word. She was pulling out all of the stops, desperate for attention!

I know that I should have gotten up because clearly she wanted some time with me before A2 got up, but I was so tired that I simply couldn’t. I used to feel awful about myself when that would happen, but now I realize that it is all a part of life. I am not damaging my kids because I am too tired to pay attention to them at a particular moment. It is a good lesson in patience for us both, I suppose!

How do you manage the exhaustion that comes with mothering? What works for your kids?