I have had my moments of wondering why I seem so tired much of the time. Maybe because I am no longer in my teens and my energy levels are not off the charts. Perhaps having four children between the ages of two and seven have some impact. At my last annual check-up, less than a year ago, I got my thyroid and iron levels checked, just in case.
My thyroid was fine. No problems there.
My iron levels were a bit low. I was put on prescription, iron-fortified, prenatal vitamins, since I was (and am) still nursing the twins. In addition, I am eating more food that is higher or richer in iron.
Maybe, just maybe, I am missing the answer which is STARING at me.
On any given day, my day starts out between 4 am and 5 am. Not my choice by the way. The twins think that's a great time to conquer the day. They will whine, talk, and yell at me like icy cold water being thrown on a (sleeping) unsuspecting victim - until I get up. Then it's run like crazy until long after dusk.
Want a case in point? Let's take yesterday, shall we?
The twins got me up before 5 am. I won't insert details of the usual routine (meals, snacks, potty training business), for brevity's sake. After finishing breakfast and going to the bathroom - at 8:10 am, the four children and I went to Sprout's to buy groceries, headed to church, went to two more stores after church, and arrived home just after 2 pm. A friend came over for a scheduled visit, not ten minutes after we got home. Besides getting the potty-training twins on the their potties and giving everyone their lunch, I apologized to my friend for keeping busy while we visited - putting away groceries, cooking, washing dishes, assisting the eldest child in her violin practice, getting the older two to do their recommended amount of reading, shoveling snow and ice off the driveway and sidewalks, bathing 4 children, cutting hair for three of the children, cutting the twins' finger nails. That friend left around 5:30 pm. Then, I got the twins on the potty one last time, gave them their last table food meal, nursed them, went through their brief bed-time routine, and got them to bed. Another friend came for a scheduled visit. I proceeded to get the older two children's dinner ready, whilst cooking food for the next few days and putting stuff away. Once the older two went to bed and my friend left, I had to work (which, at this point, I am doing from home) and get the girls' school stuff ready: uniforms, snacks, water bottles, for the next morning (this morning).
The twins (the younger two) woke up just after 4 am this morning.
Maybe, just maybe, somewhere in all this (busy-ness) lies the answer to why I am so tired by the end of the day.
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