Last month, I was on break from school. That meant that my evenings were ALL MINE! I could put Aric to bed, then zone out in front of the TV, drink some wine, and engage in some lively Twitter chatter.
But one night I was bored. Aric was in bed. There was nothing on TV. No one was entertaining me on teh interwebz. It was at that moment that I looked Tim and said: “Did we seriously used to do this every single night?”
Honestly, I have almost no memory as to what we used to do to entertain ourselves pre-Aric. I know we went out with friends a lot, but not seven days a week. I know we watched a lot of TV, but there couldn’t have been THAT MUCH entertaining television then. We used to go out to eat a lot, but again, not every night.
WHAT THE HECK DID WE DO?!?!?!?!?!
Now-a-days I find myself CRAVING activities. When I wasn’t in class last month I used that time to start sewing again. Even now, with class back in session, I’m attending classes, doing homework, squeezing TV in when I can, and sewing as much as I can before I fall face first onto my pillow. And this is all done after 7:30pm.
I’m just going to take this moment to say a small prayer of thanks for having a child that is so routinized that he PUTS HIMSELF TO BED when we don’t get him there in time. Child #2, I fear you will take all this ease away from me.
ANYWAY. What was I saying? Ah, yes, “free time.” Our weekends are now dominated by trips to the park, the mall, Target, books, puzzles, blocks, movies, and a quick 10 minutes to run a vacuum over the nasty carpet. And I find myself wondering …. WHAT THE HECK DID I USED TO DO ON THE WEEKENDS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
It’s like my definition of “free time” went from meaning “Time to sit on my arse” to “Time to get something done for ME and not something for the child, husband, house, or professor.”
And honestly, I wouldn’t want to go back to those times. I love the activities I find myself involved in. I love that when I have a free minute, I spend it engaging in a hobby that I adore, or, you know, that “husband” man who also lives here.
But seriously, parents. WHAT DID WE USED TO DO?!?! Can ANY of you shed some light on this for me?!
Mandi McClure
January 24th, 2012
I find myself wondering the same thing. All. The. Time. What did we do?
Leah
January 24th, 2012
I’m in the same boat. My “free” time is now “me” time. Where in the past I had “free” time AND “me” time. Haha. I also can relate as to kid #1 being so easy and going to bed at a decent time and having a routine. We often joke that kid #2 will be the complete opposite and then we will be in trouble! Then we really won’t have any free or me time. LOL.
WeeMason's Mom
January 24th, 2012
Ha, the other weekend I found myself going “Wow, I’m bored, I wonder what I can do….” and then realized it had been suuuuuch a long time that I had actually felt boredom. So crazy!
I often feel like I “never have time to do it all” but on the other hand, life before consisted of surfing the internet, doing a bit of volunteering, and catching some TV shows, same thing I am doing now, so not quite sure what “all that” is that I am suddenly not having time to do!