Non-Mommy Time!

Today, I'm writing at a local coffee house overlooking our gorgeous Colorado mountains, while enjoying a full-fat white mocha. Does this help in losing my Caleb fluff? Not a bit. Does it provide some sweet silence and relief from my sick and whining child? Oh, yes. No worries...I didn't leave him in the car. Daddy's home! As much as I missed my husband these last two weeks, I kissed him on the head (as to not share my flu germs), bid my son farewell, and high-tailed it out of there. Sick or not, this momma needed some re-charge time. And, my sweet friends, that is very ok!

As SAHMs, our children and our homes are our full-time job...very full-time. When something happens beyond our control to stress our situation, it requires an extra dose of God-strength to even do our job (i.e. our husbands are gone, our child is sick, we get sick (not allowed!), etc.). As we live for Christ and live our lives in His Will, we can feel confident that our current ministry is our family. I say all this so that we can mentally align our lives as SAHMs with anyone's life in ministry. You don't have to be a pastor to be in ministry. We minister to our children, our husbands, and everyone we come in contact with everyday. Because of that, we have to have a break from our ministry.

I admit that I am not good at taking breaks. Babysitters are still a new thing for us, and because my husband travels so much, I kind of feel bad spending the money on a sitter when it doesn't equate a date night. Recently, a friend told me that our kids need to miss us sometimes. I thought that was odd. Really? I'm his mother, his nurturer, his full-time caregiver, his playmate, his everything right now. How could he need to miss me?! Hmmm...is that such a good thing? I think my friend is on to something. Truly, I think my son has actually grown tired of me that last few days. And so, I happily told him not to worry...the feeling is mutual :-) So, here I am. I'm feeling refreshed by the minute, and excited to spend the remainder of the evening with my two favorite boys. Or, maybe I'll run up into the mountains and hide out for a few days :-)

When that guilt comes as we take time for ourselves, remember that the Author of our faith did just that. There are numerous accounts in the Gospels that tell of Jesus withdrawing to quiet places to pray. Even the Lord and Savior needed re-charge time and time alone with the Father. After hearing of His dear friend, John the Baptist's murder, Matthew says:

"When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place..." Matthew 14:13

Other accounts of Jesus taking appropriate breaks from his ministry are...

"After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone." Matthew 14:23

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed." Mark 1:35

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:16

If Jesus recognized the important of taking time away, we should be able to confidently follow in His footsteps. I believe mommies are better mommies with appropriately-taken refresh time. In my mind, this does not equal running around like crazy women trying to get every errand done that is not toddler-appropriate. I see refresh time as quiet time with the Lord, doing your hobby that invigorates you (mine would be writing), or perhaps simply giving thanks to God for the money to go and get your pretty little toes painted. Whatever it is for you, let's make the commitment together to build it into our schedules. Probably not every day, maybe not even every week, but at the very least when you are on the edge of losing it. We all know that feeling :-)

Finally, make sure that your husband, your mom, or whoever is caring for your sweet baby knows you are appreciative of your non-mommy time. I think the old adage may be true that it takes a village to raise a child. Be sure and thank your personal village. As always, be blessed!

MMSM #43

This may be an odd money-saving tip, but I love a healthy snack that won't go to waste. Too often, I have brought fresh fruits or veggies with us, only to have to keep them in a cooler, and then thrown out the mushy leftovers that he won't eat. Then, thanks to my friend Kristen, I found a great snack idea that is easily transportable, all-natural, easily re-sealable (is that a word?), and my son loves them. They are called Fruities, and you can get them at any grocery store. While they typically sell for 99 cents a piece, they frequently go on sale. I have yet to see a coupon, but a girl can hope!

Tip #31

I found this great blog with a super cute idea for playroom/craftroom organization. Don't throw away cans after you use them in the kitchen! Remove the label, run them through the dishwasher, and put a cute label on after you nail them to the wall. I use them for Sharpies, pens/pencils, scissors, and dry-erase markers in my craft room. It looks pretty cute! Check out her site for this and many other ideas at http://laissezfairedesign.blogspot.com/2008/02/clever-ideas-to-declutter.html.