How to keep your cool

The alternative title of this post was How To Not Bang Your Head Up Against The Wall In Frustration On A Daily Basis, but it seemed a little somber.

This week has been ahhhmazing. I have been working in Oakland China Town at Asian Health Services. It’s such a change of pace. I see 8-9 patients per day and I get to work with an assistant. The people have been wonderful. And let me tell you, the food in China Town is DELICIOUS, oh sorry, was I drooling? I love little hole-in-the wall places that take only cash and no one speaks English. The food is usually fantastic. My friend Joy calls our externship the Rotation Fatcation. Sounds about right. And I have two more weeks, yay! 

Any who, I was thinking about writing this post all week but I have been up to my elbows in people’s mouths and washing baby bottles. Not necessarily at the same time. Life has surely changed since having Emma. I have always been a morning person, and I still am, sort of. I no longer can take my time getting ready and I don’t even remember the last time I shaved my legs (oh wait, is that too much information?) I wrote a little post a while back about how to have a better morning, so this is along those same lines, except the exact opposite. I think? I don’t know, you be the judge. Is this real life?

HOW TO KEEP YOUR COOL WHEN LIFE GETS CRAZY

MAKE SURE YOUR COFFEE MAKER HAS WATER IN IT

When you are in a rush in the morning because your infant has insisted on eating, make sure that your Keurig is NOT out of water. I mean, it’s wonderful having to fill up the tank to get that cup brewing, isn’t it? And even better, make sure the Brita filter is filled too. Delish. It’s all I can do to just press the button, don’t make me work harder coffee gods. 

PREPARE THE BOTTLES THE NIGHT BEFORE

When I am on my last ounce of energy, I still try to prepare the bottles the night before. But I have to make sure I have enough. Oh wait, they are ALL dirty? That’s just great. Can I just turn the nipple inside out? 

MAKE LISTS

Seriously, my head is barely screwed on tight these days. I write down what I need to do, who I need to call, the shopping list, all the restaurants I want to eat at, oh wait… I use a paper pad that is magnetized to the fridge and I also like to use Evernote because it syncs to all my devices. #science

Seriously, lists are a life saver. Now only if I could remember where I laid it down… 

PICK OUT YOUR OUTFIT THE NIGHT BEFORE

Paul is really great about doing that. For me, it’s usually which dress pants have less spit up on them. Emma picks out her outfit too, but I keep telling her that her birthday suit is not appropriate for preschool.

KEEP THINGS ORDERLY AS YOU GO

I’m a little bit of a compulsive organizer. I may or may not fluff the couch pillows 37 times every night before going to sleep. Don’t judge me. Although things in the cleaning and organizing department have dropped off a little bit since Emma popped out of me. I still try to declutter and clean up as I go. It makes life a little easier when I only have to clean up 12 poop explosions and not worry about the dishes in the sink. 

So I don’t necessarily know if I’d call this list helpful, but I hope it made you chuckle. But what are ya going to do? Oh parenthood. 

Have a nice weekend everyone. I hope you take a fatcation.