Burn-out Encouragement night topic

Here where we live, we are fortunate to have a large homeschooling community. Every month,  mothers are invited to get together to discuss an area of homeschooling.
This month was burn out. I can identify with burn out in others areas of my life. My job as a Midwife was wonderful, but very stressful. I worked Delivery Suite. You never knew what the shify would entail.
I had every symptom of burnout, but my time to move out of the unit for a 6 week break was 12 months away. WHAT!! I was desperate, so I organised with another midwife of exactly the same experience to work my 6 week roster, and I would do her roster in post natal.
The Lord had other plans, because I was sick before I could take my break. I had the Flu twice, and then Pertussis. I was very weak when I returned to work months later, but nurses soldier on, don't we. I looked at my Roster. Night duty, and 2 solid weeks. Argh. I welled up. In that moment, I knew I had to leave. The Midwife looking across at me, when I read my roster, could see how upset I was. I was struggling getting to work for reduced hours and getting out of bed on time. I was exhausted getting from the carpark to the unit. So how was I going to do 10 and half hour nights. And look after my family.
So what were my symptoms of burnout. It is a little embarrassing but... I dreaded every labouring women walking in the door. "If I hear another....". I didn't want to spend time getting to know the couple and the Mum to be. Totally unlike me, I couldn't see my way clear, everything was fussy regarding work. My clarity had gone. I knew this was not the best way to present myself in my area of work. This is why I knew it was the best thing for me, to have a break.
It never happened.
I left the next day. I didn't give my mandatory 4 weeks’ notice. I took extended sick leave. All my colleagues were totally shocked.
When I had recovered sufficiently,  I worked casual at the local Private Maternity Hospital.

So Burn out, I do know the signs. I may find myself stressed from time to time, but it is me creating the stress. Placing unfair expectations on Brid. So how do I deal with the stress. It might sound simple, but I take it The Lord.
I re-evaluated our school day. What was necessary and what was not.
A word used last night was 'slashing' curricula. I do that often. I felt guilty in the past, at times. Do others do this? And the answer is Yes they do. So if things aren't working we try a new direction, all the while learning.
At present we are using a resource. Stories of the Saints - CatholicHeritage Curriculum. Great resource, but we slash as we go. Brid is still learning. The resource covers all the key learning areas, and more. Therefore, if Brid is not happy doing a question, I access. "Is this worth it". More than not,  its better to have  harmony, enjoy the topic than drudge through it. Often we reap much more this way.
I wake up every morning wondering what God has install for us this day. I love homeschooling Brid, I love our lifestyle, I love the fact that my darling hubbie works from home, I love my family and I thank God for every opportunity, he places in my path.
This post did not follow the path I expected it would but it followed its own journey....
Two of my homeschooling friends, from the hunter, have written great posts on last night’s topic. Pop over and have a read.

Grandparents and St Anne & St Joachim

Today is a special memorial day in our church liturgical calendar.
It was in the home of Joachim and Ann where the Virgin Mary received her training to be the Mother of God. Thus, devotion to Ann and Joachim is an extension of the affection Christians have always professed toward our Blessed Mother. We, too, owe a debt of gratitude to our parents for their help in our Christian formation.
I was trying to decide how best to celebrate this day for us as a family, in this modern world.  I decided I would ask Brid if she would write to her Grandparents. She would not only write but send them a photo of her with them. She also explained in her letter why she was sending it. As St Anne and St Joachim are Jesus grandparents, she wanted to do something special for them.

Today we will say our Chaplet to St Anne and I will honour my own Grandparents.

This is me with my Grandparents and tiddles the cat, when I was a baby

WYD reflection. Journey of the Cross & Icon 07

The Cross & Icon arrives at our church, very early in the morning- 1am.

We kept ourselves warm with a bonfire and BBQ from 11pm.

We have been talking a lot about WYD in Madrid and the ones in the future. These photos are of the young people in our dioceses and the places the Cross and Icon journeyed in 2007, with the Days in the Dioceses.
It was a very Blessed and special time.
I convinced our Priests to embrace the allocated transfer of the Cross and Icon- even if it was 2 in the morning- We stayed and waited with Cross & Icon as a community. We were surprised as to how many people attended Mass at this hour.

Fr awaits the Procession as Aboriginal Sacred ground is prepared.   

reflecting and touching the Cross

A very young Brid couldn't wait to be part of it.

Brid and The Icon of Our Lady

Kieran on the left, Kristie in yellow and Brid all carrying flags as the Cross and Icon journeyed through Newcastle Foreshore. I have just noticed our previous Bishop Michael in the background. 

memory - the suds

I have another little Memory.  

My favourite inside game was playing in the dishwashing suds in the washing up water. Mum would fill the sink. Wash up the knives and sharp items and then it was my turn.

This is another little story.....

I would climb up on a chair. I would be in my element.
I remember listening to the radio and pouring tea for the ladies and beer for the men. The suds served as the froth in the glasses and as milk in the tea and saucers.
I listened to every song on the radio, and even now, when I here songs from that era, and I realise I was too young to remember this. I would think... “aaahhh.. it was a washing up song.”
It was such fun, eventually everything would get put into the drainer, and I would be finished. Dad would come in and wipe up. Often there was very little done, but playing. It kept me occupied though, and It is really good memory.
There were no real accidents this time, except a maybe water on the lino floor.
Washing up has always been my thing.
My children have not really taken to this fun activity. Maybe its because there is so much more to do in there generation.
So these days, I wash up, and everyone wipes up. Do you have a memory?

memories...can you remember !!!!

I have wanted to write a post called memories for ages. Trouble was I needed some old photos. I then needed to scan them in to the computer.  I finally remembered to ask Mum for some photo albums. I can now scan to my hearts content. My memory posts can begin.

It was my favourite thing to do as a very young girl. Make mud pies.
There was always a never ending supply of dirt and water to make mud pies, under the house. I was probably all of 4.
I had made my mud pie and to be authentic, I would use mums’ good cooking tins. The anodized, brassy, gold colour ones. This one day I placed my masterpiece in the oven. I was pretending to let it cook. I got busy doing something else while waiting for the imaginary pie to be ready for my guests- my dolls.

This is what Mum has told me since:-My Mum came past and looked at the oven, through the glass door. To herself she said, “Oh I must have made dinner already, I will just turn it on”.

Ooops.  Mum came back to mud plopping and spluttering out of the tin in the oven. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

It was mid to late  afternoon and I know she was getting my little brother settled. I often played outside, when she was attending to my brother.

I don’t actually remember Mum turning the oven on, or the mess in the oven, but Mum has reminded me many times of my mud pies.  

So there you have it, my mud pies. So ladies watch your darlings and check wants in the oven before turning it on. I always have. And guess what, Mum did from that day on as well.

Yes this is me..playing outside

I will be back with another memory.