Making time to relax

Relax? With an expedited adoption and deadline looming over our heads? Are you kidding me? Nope, not at all. Like I told a friend today, there isn't one minute of the day that I am not thinking about my boys or doing something for the adoption. It literally consumes every feeble brain cell I possess. Even in Walmart this evening (ugh, Walmart!) I couldn't even pick up groceries without swinging through the home section to check out comforters they might like. Resisted the urge to buy two I thought they might like, because we want them to get to choose what goes in their rooms. But, back to the subject, I know I have to make time to relax, so I don't go completely bonkers. No, it's not too late. Maybe.

 Yesterday me and my youngest daughter went by the doctor's office to pick up some forms we needed. I knew we would have to wait for a while while they filled them out, so I made the best of it. We needed some one on one time, without all the hustle of the daily routine. We sat in the waiting room and played a game. (Silly confession time, ever since I was a kid, if I was sitting somewhere with nothing to do, I would find a sign and see if I could find all the letters of the alphabet. I still do it.) So we grabbed a magazine and I showed her how to play. Then we got really silly, and gave each other hard pages to do. Like an ad with only about three words on it. We couldn't get past the letter D. We laughed and had fun and actually enjoyed the time. I did anyway, and I think she did. She sure giggled enough. It was really nice making the best use of the time we had to spend there. It was a very nice change from fussing over homework (this child's teacher deserves a medal of honor!) and reminding her to do her chores or stop arguing with her sister. We just got to BE with each other.

Today, I got to spend time with two of my best friends. P and I met up at Hardee's so she could get her Team Sam shirt, and we wound up sitting and talking for over an hour. We used to work together, and spent LOOOONGGG hours at work with nothing to do, so we have perfected the art of yakking on and on. This was the first time we have really had to sit down and talk since we started the adoption process, and I got to fill her in on everything that's been going on. Keeping up on FB is nice, but it's nothing like actual face to face conversation.

And then as a double bonus tonight, I got to spend time with my friend D. Her dad passed away early this week, and between adoption appointments and two of my girls being sick, I didn't get to make it to the funeral or visit with her during the process. So I invited her over tonight, and we sat and talked and laughed for about 2 hours. She has done so much for her family during her father's illness and has run herself ragged then and since he passed, and has had no time for herself. Sometimes a person can spend so much time doing for others, they don't get a chance for themselves. And that is important. So it was especially nice that she got to sit and relax for a while, not having to make decisions, or be the strong one, or even DO anything at all. Hoping that helped her at least   a little. I know it helped me. We sat at the kitchen table and ate buffalo dip and just rambled about everything and nothing.

So find time to relax this weekend. The housework and yardwork will still be there when you're done. Take the kids out to play, or go visit a friend. Facebook has nothing on real faces. Don't substitute bits and bytes for laughs and hugs. Seeing the expression on your friend's face and their eyes light up as they tell you exciting news. Being there if they need to vent. I'm not discounting online friends at all. I have people that I count as friends who I've never met in real life, I have far away family that I keep up with on FB, since we can't see each other often. But if your best friend lives 3 miles away, shut down the computer and invite her over. Go hang out somewhere together. How many of you have ever said "remember that online chat we had 2 months ago? That was so fun, let's do it again sometime". Now remember the the last time you and your friend really had fun together. Do THAT instead. Now go! Shoo! Have some fun! Enjoy your day!!!

Why are you still reading? I said GO!!! LOL