A brief respite

Every once in a while I am generously blessed with a day of much needed and deserved rest. After the full work week and busy family nights (and a rough and tumble night with my bi-polar son) I was able to sleep past 7:00 am on a Saturday. WOO HOO....the joys of parenthood. Fortunately my kids have all reached an age where they no longer need me to make breakfast, so I brewed my Kona Coffee (Cameron's Small Batch Brew), made an egg sandwich and promptly started reading my Nook Tablet that the hubs got me for Christmas.

Can I say how IN LOVE I am with my nook! I turned on Pandora, started reading a Steampunk book from Calista Taylor , which I recommend if you like period pieces with a touch of adult content, and sipped my caramel macchiato flavored go-go juice. (That's what I call my coffee, because it helps me go-go).

The kids were entertaining themselves and actually giving me some peace. It is a rare and treasured thing around our house. However, I didn't really feel any get up and go from my go-go juice. In fact, I felt pretty sluggish. My first concern was the strain of nastiness that has been running rampant around Kansas City. Several people at work, and a few at home, have come down with a flu something fierce. It would make complete sense that under all the stress I've been that my body's defenses could succumb to the same phlegm-filled germs everyone else had. That's when I made the choice. Today was going to be a day of rest...no matter what, I was NOT getting sick!

So I plopped down on the couch, pulled my favorite fuzzy red London Fog blanket up to my chin, stood my Kate Spade Nook holder up on the pillow next me and told the kids to leave me alone. I'm sure I was awake for about 30 minutes, but then...out! I didn't stir again until after noon! The house was still standing, and oddly, wasn't a total disaster. The kids had fed themselves lunch and actually kind of cleaned up after themselves. It was a strange feeling for sure, but one I was grateful for.

I think as parents we forget about owr needs because we consistently put that of our children first, as it should be. However...I have learned the hard way, you've to take care of yourself too. At least every once in awhile. Otherwise you'll burn out and become a bitter and grumpy parent. You have to take time for yourself and NOT FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT! That really is the hard part, but it's even harder when your kids are younger and still depend on you for quite a bit.

I've learned to take one for the team though. To take a brief respite from the craziness of life. I took time to paint mine and my younger daughters nails, a long steamy-hot shower and decided to curl my hair. After getting ready to go absolutely nowhere, I felt human again and rejuvenated. Actually, I felt energized. I made preparations for dinner and the homecoming of the hubby, who'd been gone for 4 days, straightened up what remained a mess in the main living space (after I told the kids to pick up their mess first) and opted to attend my nephews soccer game in the early evening. I just felt...myself again.

The moral of the story here is that I took time, even if it was just a few hours and took care of me. It soothed the stress and aches of every day life and allowed for a fresh perspective. Ultimately giving me the boost I needed to be a better person/parent/human being. That's what we all want, right? I don't know what tomorrow will bring but it really doesn't matter. My husband is home, my kids are healthy and I've had some me time. I can take on anything! When was the last time you took time for yourself? If you can't remember...it's been too long.  Make time to exhale.