Well thanks ladies for all the warm well wishes and setting me "free" from my daily advent posts =) I missed just posting spontaneously and without premeditation as well. I will post a couple more advent conglomeration posts but I will piggy back them into one post that covers multiple days. Yay! I'm breathing a big sigh of relief. All of a sudden "blogging without obligation" went out the window with that idea =)
I've been holed up at home for the past few days (including from Church), I'm not sure I have ever done that before, or if I have I was too sick to enjoy it, but man... I hope this isn't heathenistic but I had the most WONDERFUL morning home alone in a quiet house (babe was here, but slept all morning). I didn't even veg out... I wasn't THAT sick, I just had too awful of a cough to go out in the sub zero temps. I got the whole house tidied, quiet music playing in the background, everything stayed all nice and clean the way I left it, I got a nice lunch on the table with flowers and china all in place for when the family got home. It was positively delightful.
I never realized until that moment that I can count on one hand the times that I have been home alone. I didn't realize how noisy and busy and crazy my life is until all of a sudden I am in this same "place" sans all the action of five little chicklets. The only time I get "away" from the kids is usually shopping (not relaxing,and rarely do I go shopping alone, usually I have all of them, at the very least I have the baby), or scrapbooking for a few hours once a month with girlfriends. But both those things are still DOING. I still have this "list" of stuff I want to get ACCOMPLISHED. Being home alone yesterday, just alone, with no pressing demands or to do list made me realize how very, very beneficial it would be to my sanity to get a time like that every once in awhile. Somehow those two and a half hours gave me a cushion and padding that equipped me to deal with the noise and punches that made up the rest of the day, and even into today. I just feel recharged.
I know I have often looked down my nose at the "me time" philosophy, the "you have to take care of yourself if you are going to be any good at taking care of anyone else" idea. I think there is danger there, in the area of expectations and disappointment and self centredness... but in reality, if not taken advantage of, in small doses, I think it does matter for a woman to have some moments to herself where she is not frantically serving or "to-do-ing" or even "on call", to just let down her guard, and hang. The funny thing is that I chose to use that time doing things that still were serving for the most part. Not because I had to, but because I could. I cleaned up, I cooked, but I also took a long bath and read a few chapters of my book. It was a little slice of heaven on earth. I think I'm going to put a bug in The Guy's ear about what a great "promise" present this would be for me...
We are holed up today and tomorrow at the very least, not going to set foot outside except to go and make sure the animals all have food and water and heat lamps are up and running. Lots of baking and reading and cleaning on the agenda. We are hosting a small group Christmas party here tomorrow so we need to get everything in order. Happy Christmas preparations, everyone.
15 comments:
I'm so glad you enjoyed that time..I know it's good to take a real "Sabbatical" every once in awhile it gives us time for regrouping..and really when do we get that in our homes, if it's not in the dead of night..stay warm..it's only 32' here today but cold for this Texas girl!
I think we all need that time alone sometimes to just think & do what feels comfortable. Good for you. Take care.
Baby, it's COLD outside :)
absolutely. there is danger of abusing the whole "I just need my ME time", but there is some truth to it too. When BBoy was a baby, I loved that BGuy made it possible for me to escape to the gym to run a few times every week. Totally refreshed me and retained my sanity. Different now that the treadmill is in my basement (lol) - I love it but it's not quite the break it used to be.
anyhow - glad you enjoyed your Me time :) Even though I missed you. But I think I said that once already ;)
I am jealous! That is one of my desires, although I am desiring a whole weekend at home by myself! The things I could get done to get my home back in the order I would like it to be in (it is not bad, but there are always those projects in the back of my mind that I would like to get to). It is wonderful to have time to yourself at home, to relax and be refreshed, usually my time "for me" is away from home, when sometimes I just long to be home and be still and quiet (that is one thing I do love about afternoon rest and nap time, which is what is happening right now :)
I am rambling, I will go and come back later!
Blessings!
I only have one precious girl, but I still find that every once in a while I "need" time to myself. How I love the quiet and solitude. I find myself waiting for my family to come home to love on them some more...really recharged. I think it's a blessing my hubby loves to take Ainsley out to do father/daughter things so I do get some slices of that time here and there. :) I can't imagine you abusing that...so just ENJOY!
It's cold here too. Two degrees. Yikes. I had fun reading the posts i had missed. Loved the baby turning away from daddy blowing on him. So cute. I remember how nice it was to have the house to myself for just a little while. I think I am like you. I didn't leave my kids much...no going to the gym and leaving them at the daycare...it just wasn't my thing. However we then need to figure a time to be alone, for everyones good. I remember hiding in the storage room once to get away from it all. Dad was there and they were all safe and sound...but, I just had to get away. Those are funny memories. Come over and see some New York pictures.
I know what you mean by the whole me time thing( about how it can be taken advantage of), but I do feel that it is nice to have that time every once in a while, I don't usually like to leave my children with some one else, just so that I can have time to myself I always feel bad about that,but sometimes it is definily needed ya know, Anyways, a quiet undemanding day at home does sound quite heavenly, going out without the young'uns just doesn't do it for me either, I feel more rested and refreshed it I get that me time at home alone:) I am glad you had that time to recharge, the Lord knows we all need it every so often. Hope you get to feeling better soon, and that your Christmas party is wonderful. Brandie
I know I said I wouldn't whine about the weather - but it is in the thirties here today!! Honestly - thirties - in south Texas. I'm freezing!!
I absolutely agree - I love the rare occassions I am home alone. Even though the nest is empty, my husband is home full-time so I'm rarely alone.
I have been know to do the "happy dance" when I am alone. I don't do anything very exciting. There's just something about being all by yourself - not as a steady diet, mind you, just once in a while :-)
girl, you know I am a big proponent of mama taking care of herself...probably b/c I didn't for so many years and it took a toll on my physical/emotional health. You are not going to "abuse" that...you love and follow the Lord and love your husband and children...you are human...dust... and the Lord knows that and your heart and calls you to times of refreshing.
When my husband offers to watch the kids so I can go out, I usually say "actually could I stay here and you take them somewhere?" He took them to meet friends the other night at McDonald's playplace and they all played for 2 hours and he had an awesome conversation with a buddy...and I rested and took a bath and journaled and just was. I usually use my time at home alone to re-feather the nest...make things pretty and refreshing for all of them...bake something special in the QUIET while listening to music...organizing a space to work better for us, etc. It's wonderful to "wife and mother" like that when they are not even around!
Please do take more time like this for yourself and your family...it's a balanced life in my opinion :)
by the way, I am loving your "baby it's cold outside"...I was on here and my husband wandered in and listened to it and laughed and loved it!! Thanks friend :)
Ah yes, I can just imagine your sigh of relief... glad your feeling better about it all. I'm so happy for you that you so enjoyed your Sunday morning alone. I totally know how that feels and I hear you on the whole "me time" thing... there definitely is something to be said for having it once in a while!
so glad you had some quiet time Sunday morning. It is nice to have time alone, but sometimes hard not to feel guilty about it. Blessings on your evening tonight! Stay warm... the wind's picking up. :P
I am a big believer in taking a little time for yourself!Yes, I am sure it could be abused, but I am not worried about that part. I don't leave my children with anyone except close, close family (grandparents or their Daddy mostly) and maybe a close friend if I had an emergency. I am with them almost every minute besides that, since I homeschool and do not work outside the home. Hey, the way I look at it, they need a break from me as bad as I need a break from them. It is good for everybody involved. Lately, my husband and I have gotten out by ourselves and went to a couple of Christmas dinners without the kids (they were at their Nana's) we felt like we were newly weds again. It was great, for us and them!! I guess what I am trying to say is...we need time alone...& time alone with our husbands every once and awhile, and as long as we look at it as a blessing and not something we "have" to have I think it will stay in it's proper place. I am glad you enjoyed your morning alone, I have been home sick on a Sunday before too and it is so peaceful. Stay Warm!
Hey I was thinking...Wouldn't it be fun if all of us blog buddies could exchange something for Christmas? Maybe, a recipe... our favorite Bible verse...? If we all posted it on your comment page one day, could we then print it off? I don't know I haven't ever tried to print the comments...I am not trying to tell you what to do, it was just an idea that popped into my head. Please, don't worry about this if you don't want to, have a great day! Leanne
I've been thinking of you, surviving those crazy temps! My lungs were burning in the 20s yesterday. I'm such a wimp.
I have found that even a very short amount of alone time for me turns me into a new person. It is important that we do what we need to do to keep ourselves strong!
Prairie Chick~ I've truly been enjoying your blog the last few months. Thanks for all you share and how you uplift and inspire.
Merry Christmas, Dear!
Even nearing retirement age and with a husband retired, whenever I get a bit of 'home alone' time. I feel elated, lost, bouncy, and rudderless all at once. It is a great feeling, which I fill with....the posibilities are endless...a good book, some family research, a good book
You know me time
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
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