Sunday, April 18, 2010

Wow

It is absolutely silent right now. Well, almost. The dryer is tumbling but it is a very soft, scratchy noise that oddly adds to this zen-like moment I am having. The living room is toasty warm. The sunlight is filling up the rooms. And there are no kids. Not one. This happens but once a week, when Rob shuffles the kids off to swim class.

Sure, it is an noisy ordeal getting them out the door. They come back home like a herd of cattle too. We are definitely going through a very noisy stage in parenting right now so this warm, bright and oh-so-silent room is as close to bliss as I'll come this week.

It just clarifies this intense need for mommy time. Alone time. Time to relax, reflect or (wouldn't it be awesome) write. The family is pretty good about leaving me alone to read a book or cook a meal but I am still aware of the din. The situation plays itself over and over again while I pretend not to notice, "...Mommy!", "Shush, Mommy is ---, what do you need?", "I need Mommy to...", "Well, I could have done that! Don't bother her now.". It could be either child - always with a need to get a glass of water, show me a paper cut or to just tell me something.

I love them to death. But breaks are nice. Going without them for a certain amount of time makes you forget you even need them - or how much. Once in a blue moon I get to hang out with Rob. Or friends. I rarely get to be alone though. I miss it a lot.

4 comments:

Butterfly said...

I hear you. Escape, hibernate, think ... these may as well be swear words!

Alone time at home is rare for me ... perhaps an hour or two a few times a term. I love our life, but sometimes feel snowed under by unprocessed thoughts and a huge to-do list, which a day alone at home might help with.

With the kids waking early (usually an hour before I'd call barely civilised) and going to sleep later, it's even more pronounced. But to balance it, they 'can' now play together well for hours at a time, so I'm getting a bit more done during the day.

Best wishes,
Vanessa

M.J. said...

Thanks Vanessa. I find I can get out alone pretty much whenever I need but rarely get the house to myself. I know there are a lot of us in this boat!

Kez said...

Sounds nice! Breaks are very rejuvenating - when you can get them :)

Julie K said...

Recharge time is very important. Enjoy the quiet and enjoy the chaos that follows as well. :)