If you homeschool or are a stay at home mom, you know the stress that can encompass one's body from every imaginable angle concerning your kiddos all day long. Everyone needs a break sometime. It's nice to have just 15 minutes to relax. I'm not kicking that at all. But below is a tale from one of my *stressed* days. I look back at this day often and laugh. This is a reminder that, at this point, my life is not about me, what I want, think I need, or want to do. God has loaned me a couple of pretty neat kiddos for a time. ....It had been *one of those days* and I had errands to run, my sweet mother took pity on me and told me to bring the kiddos to her after our school day and run my errands alone, get some down time. I readily agreed, dropped my kiddos off, telling myself this was *just what I needed* (snort). My body, so it seems, is just not accustomed to being alone in town, it does not adjust well, and functions as though my Sweet son and Dear Daughter are with me
. First, I spilled my purse in the mall...*everything* in my purse went flying. I usually have the kids to laugh with me, no kids this time, but of course the laughing came anyway....I laughed and giggled and even snorted when I tried to hold it in as I stumbled around, mumbling,
" excuse me", as I picked up my belongings (some of which I almost ignored out of embarrassment.)
Next stop, something to eat, at which point, (since I had no kids to clean up after, I just *had* to make a mess, you know, it wouldn't be the same), I squirted taco sauce all down the front of my sweater. Nice, big, orangish - brown spot running right down the middle. Most people give a smile of pity at a mother with stained clothes when she is toting her children, not so without.
My dash into the library ended with a bag ripping in the parking lot and the library books scattering. Some went under the car, so I had to get down on my knees and fish books out from under it. Real lady like in my skirt and stained top.
Last stop of the day was Walmart (I shouldn't have even tried going at this point). I done mega grocery shopping and had two loaded down carts to haul to my car, on a Friday evening at about 8:30. It was crowded. of course. I get out the front doors to the cross walk and the bag of potatoes on the bottom decides to get stuck on a wheel. I hold up traffic as I try to get the potatoes unstuck with my foot while holding the other cart. Oh, it comes unstuck, it busts and potatoes roll everywhere (what can I say, I have a knack for spilled items). I'm grinning a mile wide by now, because it's just so funny (laughter is my stress relief, obviously), I momentarily lose my train of thought and let go of cart 2 while I try to pick up, it rolls away, at which time an elderly man catches it for me, I thank him with potatoes in my arms, between my laughter and honking horns. He kinda nods and edges away from me. I feel home free now as I finally get to my car. I have the trunk up and the doors open as I toss in. Cart again rolls away, this time a young man yells at his window for me to catch the cart. I catch it, pull it back, go to toss in the toilet paper at which time my finger nail punctures the cellophane. Out comes a roll of Scott Tissue onto the ground, off it rolls, and off I go chasing the toilet paper down the isle. I grab it and it comes undone, the harder I pull, the more I laugh, the more paper that comes off. I finally capture it, ignore the stares, jump in my car with tears rolling down my face from the laughter fit I'm having. I call Handsome Hubby and try to explain what happened, he's very confused why I am laughing, as he would have been MAD. (guys are just different that way, apparently). What a hoot.
As I drove to Mom's I decided that I kinda liked having my kids there with me to laugh, giggle, and share with....that they are a big help when they carry my books, help me shop and push the cart for me. My children are a pleasure. I look back on this day and reflect when I feel like I need a "break". While a breather is good now and then, I realize these days will pass all too quickly and I'll wish for the times that there is no break in conversation during drives, long for interrupted phone calls, wish for math and algebra issues. I'll want to lay on the trampoline seeing shapes in the clouds, yearn for the click, click, click as my vacuum picks up legos hidden just under the edge of the couch. I'll want the front glass door to be full of smudges, the bath tub to have grime left in the bottom, the kitchen cd player to be blaring Hank the Cow Dog.
So, for now, even when I'm stressed, feel the lack of adult conversation....when I'm sure that I'll never have a moment's peace.....I'll consider it good, wonderful, blessed, and an awesome opportunity to have my children living, learning, and loving at home, with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment