a day to myself

I truly enjoy being a stay-at-home mom. I won't go into all the reasons here right now, but I do love it. But just like with any paying job, there are some days you'd just really like a break. Especially while nursing a baby, the "I can't go anywhere away from the baby for more than three hours at a time without planning ahead" thing can wear on you a bit. So yesterday my hubby awarded me with a blissful day of doing whatever I wanted to do. He took the day off work and completely left me to my own devices. This is how I filled my day. 1. Wake up and nurse Wendy. Let her hang out with me in bed while Andy and Levi go out to get breakfast and bring it home. Eat my bagel and cream cheese, drink my coffee while I stay in bed and watch "Clueless." (It was the only thing on Netflix that seemed mindless, fun, and short enough.) It's been a while since I've just sat a watched a whole movie straight. 2. While I wait for Wendy to wake up from her morning nap, I read several chapters of Genesis. 3. Nurse Wendy and then leave for my afternoon of freedom. 4. Go to TJ Maxx to get Andy a new belt, new throw pillows for the couch and a basket for the magazines we keep on the dining table. Something about buying a decorative, functional basket makes the organizer within me sing. Stop at the Christian bookstore and buy a really sweet nativity advent calendar... each day we take one character out of the pocket and build up the nativity scene. 5. Drive to Panera for lunch by myself with my Kindle book. Of course, the woman next to me ends up having a baby girl Wendy's age, so I spend most of the time thinking of my sweet baby instead of reading my book. 6. Go to the toystore across from Panera just because I can. It's a great place to get ideas, but way overpriced. 7. Go to AC Moore to buy goodies for decorating my Thanksgiving table. Somehow I end up with six sheets of paper, a can of spray paint, and some raffia. Yeah, not sure how this'll all work out! 8. Go to Home Goods and fall in love with a rug. Decide that 100% wool is not a good idea because it keeps shedding on me. Console myself with buying another basket that'll be used for the books and magazines we keep in Levi's "quiet corner" -- the place we send him when he's being too loud and needs to take a chill pill. 9. Catch up with two friends and my mom on my phone while driving to and fro. (I have a hands-free headset.) 10. Go home, nurse Wendy and get dressed for exercise class. Pilox my butt off. That would be pilates and boxing moves. I likely looked like a fool, but I was so busy trying to keep up that I didn't have time to care. My arms feel like rubber noodles afterwards. 11. Go home, eat the wonderful dinner Andy cooked... homemade Chicago-style stuffed pizza! It was amazing. I can't believe we haven't tried to make this at home before. I'm told the kitchen was covered in flour several times during the day, but there is no mess to be seen. What a gift. 12. Put the kids to bed and then go to my haircut appointment that just happened to line up with my "me" day. 13. Come home (again!) and finally get to spend time with Andy. What a crazy me day. It felt really good to break my routine for just a day and I know the kids and Andy all enjoyed their time together. All these little things I did felt like such a luxury, but I'm glad to be back to my regular routine again today. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.