It’s a typical weekday afternoon, and my husband texts me at work to tell me he is taking the kids to his office and then on a few errands, leaving me with TWO WHOLE HOURS ALONE. What do I do? I need more notice! How do I decide what to do with this gift from heaven? Ok, if I leave work early I could maximize every minute, stretching it to almost THREE hours.
I could run to Target, then go to the gym, maybe weed the front flower bed before I paint the guest room? What about these people who watch Netflix in the middle of the DAY? No waiting until 10pm for young eyes and ears to leave the room. If I bring a laptop into the guest room I could watch an actual movie while I paint! Of course I should throw a load of laundry in too…and maybe not Target, because I have a return for Wal-Mart. But if I’m going to Wal-Mart, should I swing into Kohl’s? I never get to Kohl’s…Of course the dog could use a nice long walk, and it’s sooo nice out.
Does this happen to anyone else? Am I just losing it? Why is any tiny bit of alone time like a new version of “If You Give a Moose a Muffin”??? If you give a mom alone time…she will certainly spend ALL of the spare time thinking about having spare time!
I have the best intentions, but by being overzealous, I rob myself of the joy of time alone. Clearly, most of these things take four times the amount of time that I actually have. I need to b-r-e-a-t-h-e… and prioritize. Is this a good time for a leisurely coffee- and- book indulgence? Will I just feel guilty for not being productive? Or should I try to get some birthday shopping done without three kids along? If I’m not careful, I’ll end up right back where I was, but finding the WHY for each of these ideas is important too. If it’s a “chore,” does it have to be done today? Or is it a wish list item? Would completing it give me more satisfaction than taking a moment to myself and being fully relaxed when my family gets back?
What do you do with a few hours alone?
