Notes on a mama break.

Hey friends!  Happy Saturday to each of you.  I do not do Saturday posts anymore but today is my exception.  I wanted to reflect on this past week.  It was kind of a big deal.

See for the first time in nearly nine years I was childless.  Childless for more than 24 hours.  Childless for five days.

And I'm not afraid to admit that I really enjoyed it.

A lot of bloggers would play that card of how lost they were without their children and how lonely or sad they were/are.  Not me.  I savored every minute.  I took in every second I had to myself.  Yes, I enjoyed it to the hilt and here is why:

I hung up the ref shirt.
My babies are at the ages where they argue - a lot.  It is generally instigated by my eight (going on twenty-eight) daughter.  She is a very demanding kid and is a typical my way or the highway girl.  Really, I cannot tell you how many times a day she starts arguing with her three year old brother and it becomes a tear fest.
It is true that I had forgot what it was like to live in a peaceful home.  One where the arguing was banished and silence took it's place.
Yes, enjoyable.

There were no cartoons on the television.
I have never been a cartoon person.  Even as a kid there were a select few I liked (Smurfs, Snorks, Rainbow Brite!) so the idea of cartoons available 24/7 that have no purpose or point drives me insane.  While the kids were gone I banned all channels that had anything to do with cartoons or kids.
And I had television time.  As in - I watched shows not on the DVR!  I even had a Netflix night and watched a movie! That was delicious.

Speaking of delicious, I didn't cook.
No little mouths to feed meant I could revert to my college days and eat simpleton food.  I had tomato sandwiches, scrambled eggs, and one night waffles.  This was the irony of me enjoying my mommy free time - I kind of ate like a kid!  At night my dog and I shared graham crackers and milk!  Yes, she likes milk and no we didn't drink from the same cup.

I cleaned my house and it stayed clean.
Truth - when the kids are here and I clean my house I think to myself, "How pointless is this venture?"  Well I cleaned it this week and it stayed CLEAN!  Not cluttered.  No toys, books, underwear, or random housewares strewn through the palace!  It was so incredibly nice.

One load of laundry.
Yes, one load all week.  Precious.

Pool time was pure relaxation.
When you have children, as many know and as many don't, pool time is not relaxing.  My kids expect me to get in the water and play with them for the full two to three hours.  I'm not against swimming around with my kids but mama wants to crawl up in that lounge chair while you little boogers are peaceful and happy swimming around pretending to be sea creatures!  This week I could slip off to the pool, swim laps, turn up the music, then go crawl up in the pool chair and read!

Evening peace.
My evenings were filled not with children fighting, crying, or stalling to go to bed but with a blanket, pillow, and my book.  I even had a fabulous Face Time with my bestie one evening.  I stayed up late and watched television and slept in - kind of.  I remember doing all that a life time ago.

My work was easier!
Since I didn't have my minis to worry about I felt more at peace doing my work for the clients I had on the calendar for the week.

Target, Starbucks, Sam's - alone!
Target had a Cartwheel offer of an extra 20% off their summer clearance.  I thought I would check it out and scored several outfits for little man for the rest of the summer and the warm fall.  Even though the kids were off enjoying the ocean I still couldn't fathom getting anything for me when there were such good deals for one of them.  So I put back the jacket I wanted for myself.  See, even when you are enjoying your you time they are still taking precedence.  I did finally get a pair of sneakers on Friday though.  I've been without a pair for a month.  Not good.

I am so grateful that I had this time to myself.  It wasn't a planned week away for the kids but my mom couldn't bare the idea of the kids leaving with us on Monday from the beach.

The kids will be arriving any time now and I will be happy to see them and give them hugs.  They are my babies so even if you took this post the wrong way you should realize that a mom never stops loving her kids, worrying about her kids, thinking about her kids - but good mamas will be honest with you and say - we all need time to recharge.  We all deserve more than an hour or two.  It is good to have time where you are forced to do some nice things for yourself, even if it is graham crackers and milk with your puggle.

Being a mom is really tough - thank the Lord for respite.

Now let's go get ready to see those babies.

xo
Amanda