Pick-Me-Up or Perk-Me-Up?

  I'm an habitual person.  I thrive best when I have a proper, solid routine.  I'm not opposed to swerving off the path every now and then, but as day to day life goes, I like the cookie cutter picture.  It makes sense to me.

  The moment school lets out my cookie cutter routine tanks.  I mean it seriously gets thrown out the window and there is nothing routine about it.  Not long after I begin to feel myself flag, like seriously drag; my tank is pressing utterly close to empty and though the light hasn't begun to flash in the danger zone of being stranded, I feel myself begin to sputter, gasping to get as much breath into my lungs before I go under.
  It doesn't help that I'm an introvert.  Yep, there it is folks, my confession for the day. Now that you have that piece of information maybe more of what I say has begun to resonate with you.  
  As my children grow older, and especially in the summer, being an introvert is not a quality that is easily appeased.  Between my princes staying up later and later, taking on a new job, juggling a social calendar that has its own demands, all the while focusing on entertaining those boys every day; Yes, my tank is empty.  And the plain and boring truth is that I'm simply tired. 

  Remember last fall when I linked many many entries to perspective?  Well, I need a refresher.  (If not you can go back and check them out. I was trying to narrow down my favorites but they all had little lessons that were a good reminder to me, so, actually, if you want, read 'em all! September and October were beauts, but the Ben Howard, Dancing in the Dark I think is one of my favs)   
  Here's what I know; I haven't made a point of taking care of me.  It's always the first thing to slip for me, and as much as I don't want to admit it, that's just who I am; it's the giver inside of me that has a hard time surrendering the giving.  Don't misunderstand; I'm not assuming the role of victim, martyr, enslaved mama-bear or woe-is-me, feel-sorry-for-the-sad-state-I'm-in.  That is also not who I am, nor is that my intention.
  I do want to shine a bright sparkly light, and give a massive thanks to my sweetheart for knowing me better than I am prepared to know myself and for reminding me that it's more than okay to stop, in reality it's vital.  Perhaps it would be more precisely described to say he forced me to stop; he didn't shout, but his voice was sure raised in that stern parental tone we all shudder at and scramble to obey. 
  It was hard, the stopping.  It took work too, which definitely goes against the definition of relaxing and shows how busy and wound I am really am, especially since sitting reminds me of all I haven't accomplished; like replying to emails, setting up an overdue skype date, and walking across the street to share a glass of wine with my gorgeous neighbor. 
  So yeah, I could really use a pick-me-up and a perk-me-up.
  On the bright side, we have begun to gear up for the return of schedule and another busy school year! Bigger snowsuits have been purchased, lunch boxes are waiting, and our backpacks have finally been cleaned out from their last use in June.  
  Call me an eager mom!  I am more than willing to accept that title and my children are certainly ready to head back to school to see their friends and settle into a routine.  
  So until that school bus chugs to a halt at the base of my driveway I will rely on caffeine and a non-stop non-schedule to keep me going, but you can bet when I see my princes loaded safe and happy on that school bus a few weeks from now, I will likely lock my doors and collapse for a day or two in the effort to recharge my dead battery!

  Happy hot-summer weekend, everyone!