Day 9

I don't have much to report today. It is easier than last week to not think about automatically opening wine after the kids have gone to bed.

I read a comment on a facebook group how much more time you find yourself having for activities that usually get in the way of wine. For example, swimming after dark. Tonight we ate dinner early and then waited twenty minutes for it to go down before taking the kids for a night swim. It was a good way for us to distract from usual post dinner itches, and it tired the children out before bedtime.

After they went to sleep I set up the yoga mats, candles, and a singing bowl recording to do some restorative yoga with my husband. Another activity that clashes somewhat with getting smashed.

We spent about 45 minutes doing restorative yoga in the candlelight and it was honestly the best pre-sleep activity imaginable. We both ended up going to bed just after 9pm, so I expect to wake up feeling fresh when the kids storm in before 6am.

We used to do yoga all the time - particularly when I was pregnant and when I was trained for my teacher certificate. Over the past couple of years, I've been too busy (on the sofa watching crap on TV) or too tired (because I go to bed after midnight). Tonight felt like a really positive step towards self-care. 

Catherine Gray made an excellent point about how sober you is the real you. I felt that last night. Taking the time to practice yoga with my husband, playing with my kids in a moonlit pool, reading a book, rather than watching Hell's Kitchen. It's just a better way to live all round.