I need help in two completely random areas.
1-I am completely undisciplined in going to bed at a decent hour. I spend the entire day cursing myself for staying up late and trying not to act tired and promising myself that I will go to bed early. And then I never do!! I do recognize it is a discipline issue and I am working against my natural night owl bent… I just need a little advice/suggestions. How do you get yourself in bed so you get enough sleep?
2-Mark has a work conference in San Francisco in March and I get to tag along for a few days. I am completely amazed and still hesitant to believe that it actually will happen, but Mark says we ARE going and I need to accept it:) Don’t get me wrong, I am excited, I am just having a hard time getting past the probability of all the details with childcare, etc working out. I think most moms out there that don’t travel a lot away from their kids, understand what I mean:) It is hard to focus on the details on the other side of the plane trip because I am so focused on the details on this side.
So with that being said if you have been to San Francisco and have some suggestions of things we should do, places we should visit, please, please share! I am lost and love to travel but have no idea what to do.
Okay, it is 11:19pm and I just spent 3 hours making heart shaped sugar cookies and I now need to try and close my eyes and sleep with large amounts of sugar pulsing through my veins and covering most of my body:) Gotta love school Valentine’s Day parties:)
Living not striving... 
I have never been to San Francisco, but I met a couple on my cruise that said Pier 39 was a definite place to go. Walk the Golden Gate Bridge and rent a car and just check everything out. Also, you don’t have to worry about the logistics of the kids because I’ve got them! As to getting in bed at a reasonable hour- perhaps Mark could entice you to go to bed with him every night …
oh my! the things you could do in san francisco! be SURE to visit the ghiradelli chocolate factory. you can take a cable car there, so you can cross off two fun things in one excursion.
you need to visit lombard st., the curviest street in america. it’s a photo shoot moment, and it’s really cool to drive or walk down!
visit the san francisco bridge and go to the golden gate recreation area on the NORTH side, looking back toward san francisco. the other side is fine, but the view is much better and so are the pictures from the place i’m recommending.
there’s a great restaurant in sausalito called the Chart House. get a reservation and ask for a table by the windows. if you can’t get one by the windows, still go! the food’s great and the location is too. warning: it’s not cheap! great date place though.
if you have time to go to sonoma, it’s a little drive but pretty, even if you don’t drink wine. if you do drink wine, there will be PLENTIFUL options for tastings!
that’s all we can think of…we went there almost 15 years ago when i was 5 months pregnant with michael, our only son. it was a business trip for my husband that i got to tag along on too!
be careful what you’re communicating by not being excited about the details you have to put in place in order to go. you may unwittingly be communicating to your husband that you don’t want to go, and that isn’t what you want to do. your children will be ABSOLUTELY FINE, and your marriage NEEDS this infusion of focused time! do your own poking around online to get excited about your visit, pray about your fears of leaving your kids, and start packin!
about getting to bed early i have no suggestions. i’m not a night owl, so i’m usually crawling in bed around 9 or 9:30. if you’re staying up late because you don’t have alone time, due to having children underfoot all day, i get that. perhaps you can try swapping childcare with another mom so that you can have some solitude during the day. this may help you feel like you’ve had space in your day to do whatever you want/need to, and that would allow you to get to bed at a more reasonable time.
call me….i can ask dana 2morrorw, unless your already there
Erika~ I always had trouble leaving my little ones…I’d almost get angry that I was going! But no kidding, EVERY time, I’d come home, they were fine and I’d feel so cheated for postponing joy and worring.
I’m praying you are able to settle things and look forward to your trip….
And going to bed early…well you know me, I’m in bed at 8 or 8:30 but I get up before 5…I promise, if you set your alarm for 4:30 for 4 days in a row, you’ll turn in early!!! And you can have your “alone” time in the early morning before anyone is up!