I so needed a bath this evening.
It wasn't that I had a hard day. I reconnected with a friend this morning and went for an awesome walk alongside a beach/forest trail. North and Sky slept the entire walk so we got some great talking time. Later on North and I ate a juicy watermelon, then took the dogs to the fish hatchery for an evening picnic.
But at some point during the day, I came to the conclusion that I was seriously deprived of me-time. And I can't be a focused, attentive person when I feel used up inside.
For the last few days I have been short tempered with Reed, irritated about uncompleted household chores and unable to communicate my ideas clearly to others. I went to playgroup on Friday but really didn't feel like talking to anybody. I felt healthy and had been drinking enough water, taking my vitamins, getting as much sleep as one could expect, so I just kept thinking it would all pass while plugging away at each day.
But each day wasn't getting better. I was using up every bit of positive energy on my interactions with the kids. They deserved that energy and I WILL find patience from the very last nether-regions of my pinky toes' cells before I disrespect them. But Reed and the dogs were themselves not so lucky.
So in the interest of preserving my relationship and the love of my pets, I took a long bath tonight while catching up to last month's National Geographic. Tomorrow I will take an uninterrupted nap while Reed takes the kids for a drive.
And then I will feel refueled.