It's all about me.

A lot has happened in my life in the past 5 years.  Two children have been born in my family.  There has been the juggling of work and being the 'at home parent'.  There has been the usual strains that having a young family can bring; worries about money, sex, 'raising the kids right', maintaining friendships and somewhere in there finding a minute for yourselves - both as a couple and individually. 

The birth of our second child did not go as smoothly as anticipated, if one thing in life is unpredictable it is childbirth, and how a new mother may feel afterward.  As as result things were tough, I mean really tough, around our place for the better part of a year.  I doubt that things will ever really be the same as they were before, now there is a new version of normal.  I am okay with the 'new normal'.  I find myself quite changed.  I am more content to stay in, to live simply and more quietly.  Before the birth of our son I was big on socialising, being a constant host, enjoying good wine.  I still enjoy these things, but on a much smaller scale.

One thing that having children has changed is 'me time'.  I haven't always needed lots of time to myself, I am happy to be surrounded by people.  My partner is the exact opposite.  She needs time to herself, and having two small children around, and me at home to greet her each day as she comes home from work, is not her ideal way of living.  I know that there isn't too mch that can be done about this until the kids are a bit older and more independent.  I wish she would take more time for herself; go for a coffee, take a book out to the studio and shut the door for an hour or two. I know that she finds the 'new normal' more difficult than I do.  I'm sure we will find the balance.

In the meantime I have a list of 'me time' things that I would like to sink my teeth into.  No, they are not meditation and taking up yoga.  They don't really even mean I need to leave the house.  I suppose they are more like little projects that I would like to commit to.

So, here they are, and I am going to try really hard to achieve them:

1.  This blog.  I am going to try really hard to produce a blog entry once a week, or at least once a fortnight.  I think it can be done!  They might be short, but I am sure I can manage it.

2.  Learn some songs on my ukelele.  Yes, I have recently bought a uke and can strum out a few chords.  I would really like to be better at it.  Practice makes perfect!

3.  Write!  I have written a trashy romance novel (that was rejected by Mills and Boon), and I have started another one.  My aim is to have the second one finished by June next year, and to have resubmitted my original novel to some other publishing houses.  

So, me time.  Best get to it