It happens now and then in parenthood that one finds oneself unexpectedly with free time. The child is downstairs loudly singing to her dolls and munching on apple rice cakes and the baby has conked out in the swing while I was putting on the wrap to carry him around.
So the first thing that happens in such an happenstance is that I sit, unbelieving and untrusting that I really have free time. Then I go back and forth checking on the playing child and the sleeping baby. Then I stand lost for a moment. Then I check the calender, assuming I've forgotten something vital. Then I start thinking of things I could do with my free time. The things I've been wanting to do with my freetime for two months line up in my mind:
scrapbook Christmas
take a nap
eat something
do pilates
and I head toward the closet to gather supplies. On my way there, Jack snorts twice and I go back and check and then the things I should do with my free time build up on my shoulders:
laundry
find my two lost nursing bras
organize my clothes
organize abby's clothes
organize jack's clothes
put toilet paper in the guest bathroom
throw away trash
and I pause indecisively. Then I turn around again (after checking on Jack another two times), too bitter to do the things I should do just yet, and sit and ponder the ramifications of my choices. Then I go on the internet, certain I'm missing something I should be doing. I check the news to see if any huge tragedies have occurred. Then I blog.
Then I reluctantly eye the clothes on the floor... and... pick them up. Put the dishwasher on. Hear Abby begin to melt down downstairs. Jack wakes up.
I remember all the things I NEEDED to do with my free time that I didn't do
120: Yellow
3 months ago
4 comments:
Oh, I am so familiar with that situation. Seems to me that sometimes by the time I decide what to do with myself, the child has woken up or is no longer content to play happily by herself! Or, perversely, I sit and do "short" activities b/c I'm positive she'll wake up any second....only to have her take an ultra marathon nap for 3+ hours and find that I've wasted all that time just clicking around the internet. Sigh.
As an occasional visitor to your home, I appreciate you finally putting toilet paper in the guest bathroom. Palm branches chafe.
Hey - there was kitty litter available too - it was your own choice to climb out the window and scale the palm tree.
Sigh, the funny thing is Jen, I no longer have enough going on to spend more than ten minutes internet dawdling... I just check my email again and again and again.... and again...
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