I just crawled into bed (yes its 8:15) after Brian made me dinner while I rambled on about how I just can’t seem to find enough time in the day. This week I shot some more Target videos and I made a conscious decision to work hard, get home in time to put Charlie to bed, then get sleep instead of writing the blog or emails so that I was fresh for the next day. But of course I didn’t mean to only put out two quality posts this week, certainly. So sorry. It’s my own fault for insisting on being the only one who writes it so the drafts just pile up (Brady preps all the posts with the pictures and links).
So check this out: I tried to find more time by waking up at 5am and working …
It worked for a week and it was kinda magical. I turned into a morning person 5 years ago and now its truly when my brain does its best work. I poured a cup of coffee, sat by the fire with my laptop, wrote really good posts with a fresh brain and watched the sun rise. I had two full hours of alone work time before Charlie woke up, then I played with him til 9:30 and went to the office. Wonderful. I was really feeling on top of things. Sure, my social life was over because I was going to bed at 9, but I felt really in control of work and parenting and my social life resumed on the weekend. I got a full 4 1/2 hours with Charlie most days and I was churning out pretty good posts, if I do say so myself.
But then my adorable little son, Charlie, caught onto it. His spidey senses could just tell that someone was up partying, enjoying some free time without him. It’s as if I was watching Sesame Street while playing with Captain America and Thor and eating bowl after bowl of strawberries and toast (no one loves berries or bread more than Charlie Henderson). I could BARELY pour a cup of coffee when I’d hear him stirring and by the time I turned on the fire, so quietly, he was up talking to his animals. I only answered an email or two before he was yelling to get out. He started waking up earlier and earlier. First 6:45, then 6:30 then 6:15 then 5:30 and then I was just basically BABYSITTING at 5am instead of working OR sleeping. I realize that you aren’t supposed to say ‘babysitting’ when its your own child, but sometimes that’s just what it feels like. Especially at 5am.
So after a week of my failed experiment I was even more exhausted, and yet I got LESS done. It all back fired and it was terribly maddening. Sure, he was taking a much longer nap, but I wasn’t around during the day to capitalize on those hours. So I abandoned my new plan he started sleeping in later – with today getting back up to 7:30 again. THANK GOD. I needed the sleep anyway, what with my job being some hard-core hosting all day long.
But the blog kinda suffered this week. I just really didn’t want to squander a really good makeover post with some half assed brain dead writing. So next week we have a VERY full week: the final master bathroom of the Rustic California Spanish home, another personal/advice column, and The Fig House Bridal Suite (plus two more undecided – either a new client sneak peek, the book sneak peek or a ready-made frame roundup).
Speaking of sneak peek into the book – I got the dummy copy in the mail this week and it’s just SOOO exciting to finally see. It’s where the text and the images are finally laid out together and you can see how its working (and where the holes are). It’s not coming out til October but yes it is already on pre-sale without even a cover image because we are still sorting through the options.
The good news (well, there’s lots of good news) – we’ve hired an office manager and an in-house photographer. My photos are about to get better (fun gifs!!) and the office is about to get crazy organized. Welcome Jessica and Sara.
Hosting and shooting these videos is so exhilarating, challenging and yet totally second nature. It’s really a good testament that life just kinda takes you places you never knew you thought you wanted to go, but then as you get there you realize it’s where you were headed the whole time.
If anyone has any secrets regarding my extremely boring sleep/morning/baby issues, feel free to leave them in the comments. Waking up at 4am just seems insane (and i’m not convinced he would even sleep through that!) and staying up late to work doesn’t seem good for me in many ways. I’m debating putting noise canceling headphones on that child before he goes to bed … (I’m kidding, obviously).
Happy Friday. May your weekend be full of brunches, cuddles, Netflix marathons and sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. xx