'Just' the errands.

Friday, we had a busy morning out, went to storyhour at our library and then out for lunch with my mom. Is it just me or do you find doing two activities in a row difficult with little ones in tow? Even back when I had just one baby I watched other moms seemingly effortlessly and constantly on the go, amazed at their ability to endure.

It has been a big hurdle for me to get used to this country style of 'going to town', where you save up your list of errands to do and attempt to get them all done in one visit once a week because town is a half hour drive away. As opposed to the quick and frequent one-a-day stops I used to make when living in the city. For me to go to the grocery store, the paint store, the hardware store and make a deposit at the bank with the kids is quite a feat, even with just the two little ones while the bigger boys are at school. When the big boys are with me as well all bets are off. The getting in and out of the car a dozen times is a workout in itself, let alone the lugging, shuffling, and herding done in store.

Soon though we were home for the afternoon, Max down for the count and Claire even admitted defeat against her tired eyelids and snuggled up to sleep on the couch. Thane was home for the day, suffering from his own tiredness that morning. He had a long night and an emotional morning, enough to convince his father that he just couldn't possibly go to school that day. He went back to bed and awoke a couple hours later ready to greet the world with a happy face again. Sometimes we all need that mental health day, so he got to enjoy storyhour too and then I sent him up to read so everyone could enjoy a bit of downtime. The wannabe homeschooler in me thinks the time spent interacting with his sister and grandmother, the decision to listen to what his body was telling him, the visit to the library, the time spent in his room entertaining himself, those moments provide just as much learning on their own as sitting at a desk would have given him.

I'm enjoying the household downtime, but felt those jabs of guilt that I'm not either a) being productive or b) sleeping, the two ends of the spectrum I feel deserve my alone time, instead smuggling my few minutes alone with a tea and a bit of doing nothing, just typing, thinking, breathing, basking, enjoying, my own mental health minute.