The Cuddle Time of Day

Today I was picking up the kiddo from school and I asked if she’d like to go to Target with me after dinner. In true MIM fashion, I was trying to cram as much as possible into my already busy Monday.

She said, “Oh, it’s dark outside, it’s too late.”

To which I replied, “No, it is just dark earlier. You’ll be home in time for bed.”

Then she said, “But then I can’t see you.”

To which I replied, “It’s okay, I will carry you in the parking lot and there will be lights.”

But yet she persisted, “But we can’t go to Target. I need to cuddle with you. And also have my shoes off for a long time.”

To which I replied….

“You’re right.”

It’s the week to give thanks. And thank you to my three-year-old for reminding me to reserve time in my day, just for cuddling.

In stocking feet.

Once a MIM…

Last week I made a pretty dramatic career switch. I went from working roughly 60 hours per week at my job, traveling and working after my kids went to bed at night, to working part time. My new schedule is a measly 20 hours per week from home.

Sounds like a dream, right? What was I to do with the extra 40 hours per week that would now be complete free-time? I’ll tell you exactly what I did, I filled those hours with more stuff. I went running everyday, I baked cookies with my boys, made a lasagna from scratch for dinner one night, ran countless overdue errands. Yes! This was the life. Or was it?

By the end of the week I was just as exhausted as I had been while working full time. So now I am going to make a conscious effort to not make myself so busy, and let some things go undone. Just because I’m not working full time, does not mean that I have to cook elaborate from scratch dinners every night, or have a craft project for my kids everyday when they get home from school. In one week, I am going to Italy for 10 days. Hopefully the simple and relaxing lifestyle of the Italian culture will rub off on me, and show this MIM that it’s ok to slow down.