All Over The Map......

I am alone this weekend.  It is a much coveted rarity at my house.  I do not feel the need to live in solitude but when the opportunity arises to have a few days to exist in peace and quiet, I jump on it.

We are not empty nesters.  Sara is at home and Jimmy is retired.  There is activity in my home at all times and I love it, but, OH how I love those days when there is no TV, no radio, no planning dinner, and I don't even have to get in my car if I don't want to.  Some people find this boring....NOT ME!!!

In my hours of total quiet I was wondering why I always find it easy to fill my time with something.  

It is not wondering what I can do...it is picking from the dozens of things I loves to do.  

Here is my conclusion.....I love free time. I think I was blessed to grow up in a time when you had to invent your own play....cell phone, iPad, and pretty much TV free.  I warned you this was all over the map!

 School supplies are out and have filled the center aisles of all the stores since July 4th.  Back to school catalogs are filling my mailbox.  Pottery Barn reminds us that we not only need pens and pencils, we need to redesign our room for that back to school experience.  As a retired teacher I know that I used to hate seeing these when I still had six weeks of vacation left.  As a mom I felt pretty much the same.  I felt robbed.  My kids were barely into the joy of unplanned days when they were rudely  reminded that another school year was ahead.  

We loved summer and it was not because our calendar was full of activities and playdates.  

It was full of ...whatever!

My kids were happy to wake up fix themselves a bowl of Captain Crunch (full of red dye #6), watch the Jetsons for awhile and then run out the door.  The day might be legos on the patio, big wheels, or whatever creative thing they could come up with.  I did not direct their play.  They might run in during the heat of the afternoon and play Atari.  VERY SELDOM did I hear..."I am bored".  

The big highlight of one summer was when we purchased season passes to Wet and Wild.  Twice a week we would load up with friends and let them run loose in the water park.  That was the ultimate gift...for them and me.  My friend and I would sit in the sun and try to determine if hot dogs would work for dinner. 

I love watching Brooklynn and Finley play.  They have great imaginations.  Yes, we drag out a craft to do most afternoons, but they mostly just play and that is good! They can build a grocery store out of a box and a ladder.  Our storage room in the garage makes a great house and chalk creates parking spaces for their bikes.  

So this weekend while our lake house is home to six people and five dogs...really....I am ever so glad to have time to fill my days with whatever I feel like doing.  I have books, sewing projects, a few Christmas crafts, and time to sit and let my brain rest.  Being alone with yourself is not a bad thing once in awhile.  Everyone should learn how to fill a day or two with undirected play.