Carving Out Me Time

How many times have you heard yourself say...."Let's get together when things settle down"...."I can't wait for this week to be over"...."Just one more thing and then I can relax"...."Thank God it's Friday"?

For me, these phrases are constantly popping out of my mouth. But the fact of the matter is.... Things NEVER settle down....the week is NEVER over, it just continues....there is always ONE more thing that needs to be done.....and Friday?! Friday is just as bad, because that means the next day, the kids have games, practices, birthday parties and anything else that we couldn't fit in during the regular week.

....sniff....sniff....

I once wrote about being totally overwhelmed in Mom Overloaded and guess what? It hasn't gotten any better.

Some days, I just want to throw in the towel and run away....run far, far away....still running....you think I'm thinking of something to say? Nope, just picturing myself running in a field of beautiful flowers on a golden summer day....butterflies flitting from flower to flower.....bees searching for nectar....and a white stallion with a handsome young kn--......huh?!

Sorry, got carried away....back to the post. Ummmmmm...... wait.....I have to go back and re-read what I wrote, won't take but a minute for me to gather my thoughts....

Right, I was running away. 

Well, in reality, I can't run away. There's no running in a field of flowers or  chasing pretty little butterflies and certainly no "golden summer day".....it's freakin' cold here!!!!!

So, in an effort to avoid a one way trip to Shutter Island, I need to carve out some ME time.

Yesterday, I decided that I seriously needed to relax, so I picked up the phone, called the salon and voila! Here I am....relaxing....ok, maybe not totally relaxing - I'm finishing up this blog....but it is a creative outlet for me, so that's a good thing.

The staff at the salon were cracking up at this photo -- I love it!

No, I haven't lost it yet...hanging out at The Chateau Salon

Here is my challenge to you. Today, I want you to find a morsel of time in your crazy nutty schedule, even if it's just for 10 minutes.....lock yourself in the bathroom if you have to (although that doesn't deter my kids) and breathe.

....relax.....do something fun....do something for yourself....

....cause if we don't carve out a little time for ourselves......you and I will be bunk mates carving out our names in a cinder block wall on Shutter Island.

How do you find time to relax?

Don't Pass on Family Time

Originally,  I was going to post a segment on my ever so adorable and well behaved (cough..cough) kids. Well, at least that was the plan as of yesterday morning, but as the day went on and I realized that soon I would be getting into a car and driving into the neighboring state for a short getaway with the family, I had a feeling that I would need to vent....just a little...a teensy weensy, itty bitty vent session.

Now, before I go on, let me say this loud and clear.... I love my husband and I appreciate all the sacrifices that he has made to provide for our family. (The poor guy works all the time and I am damn lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life. I love you, hon.) But, why...shake, shake, shake of the head... when planning a "family" vacation break.... do I now find myself sitting in a casino in the Poconos?

Yes, we took our kids to a gambling establishment.

Is it too early to register my kids for Gamblers Anonymous? Seriously.

All 3 kids had to wear bands so people knew they were under 21
Is it really that hard to figure out?

I know, we are not the easiest to please - with two young teenagers constantly bickering with each other, an energetic eight year old (who always forgets to use her indoor voice) and a wife who secretly (okay, maybe not so secretly) wishes she could just run away - how would one find the perfect solution to a short getaway?

My poor husband took on this very task of trying to get us all excited about the break. Unfortunately for him, we were not cooperating. He asked each of us what we wanted to do and we all responded with the same generic, "I don't care." Which, by the way, really means...

"I don't want to do anything, I'm perfectly happy staying at home, in my pjs, insert your favorite pastime."

Answers:

Oldest kid - vegging out in front of the TV and sleeping
Middle kid - sitting in front of the computer and watching Youtube
Youngest kid - sitting next to my brother, in front of the computer, watching Youtube
me - sleeping...just let me sleep!

With our complete apathy for this "coveted" break, we left my poor husband, who's in dire need of a vacation, feeling...well, needless to say, and rightly so.....a bit annoyed.

So annoyed, he decided to take a Groupon deal to a nearby resort and casino and voila! Here we are.

.....hmmmm.....thinking...thinking...thinking.

Okay. It's really not that bad. In all honesty, it wasn't a totally ill conceived plan. We are staying in a nice hotel with spacious rooms and the food has been good (I totally pigged out - chocolate milkshake, california burger and fries) and apparently there's skiing and snow tubing nearby.

It's really not where we are, but rather who we are with (ugh, that sounds so cliché - but it's true).

So, kudos to my dear husband, who was only trying to get us to do something together.

This only makes up for the fact that we are not somewhere warm.....YUMMY!
The best chocolate shake I've had in years.

Family time is family time!

Next time, when you find yourself somewhere that just isn't your cup of tea, remember this:

It doesn't matter if you are sitting at home in your comfy pjs or out in a smoke filled casino, with the lights flashing and the constant ringing of the slot machines...this is valuable time you have together as a family. Embrace it.

....now, if you will please excuse me, I need to show the kids how to play the pass line.