Making Time for "Mommy Time"

We all love our kids? It's safe to say that if we didn't love our kids, we would not do the things we do as moms: feed them, launder & put away their clothes, play with them, stay up late worrying about them, talk about them to other moms. I mean, is there really anything else to talk about? Kids are a HUGE part of our lives?! Kids are wonderful and being a mom is the single best thing I have ever done in my life and the one thing I would never change!

My two beautiful boys!

Look at these two boys of mine! Don't they look so sweet and loving?! Why would I ever want to be away from them? As I'm writing this my youngest is sitting at the dinner table with me, coloring with his dry erase marker on his little white board. Sounds cute right? He's colored on the table cloth (vinyl so no worries, plus being dry erase I hope it wipes up clean) as well as his bibs. My husband is trying to entertain our oldest by playing video games in the living room with him but by the amount of times I hear him say "no" I know that's not going well either. Now my youngest has screamed his head off, pointing to my phone because he knows I have kid games on it for him. At this point in the day, I'll allow it so I don't have to listen to him scream for the fifteenth time in the past hour!

My neighbor and best friend, May, was over earlier talking about her "Mommy Time". She said, "Mommy time is important. It sounds weird but I enjoy ironing his (cloth) diapers while my husband watches him in our room." Sounds like heaven! That got me thinking: this is a great idea! I mean, I do something similar to this when my husband is working late at night. It's the perfect time to eat those foods you hide (from EVERYONE!), watch that show you only want to watch alone (currently Younger which I love!) and crochet or fold laundry or sit on the couch doing nothing. It's my time that I look forward do every day and I'm so upset when it is interrupted. So is this my "Mommy Time"?

I always thought "Mommy Time" was when my husband took the kids to the store without me or I went out to get a pedicure with May and my other best friend Rae. But those don't happen often, I mean I don't get a new pedicure every weekend. I do enjoy my time with my girls, away from my family but is it selfish to look forward to that hour each night where I'm not needed and can do, eat and watch what I want by myself? No. It. Is. Not. 

I think we Moms need to take some time every day for just us. 😮 What did I just say?! We need to crave out time each day to take care of ourselves?!?! How are we suppose to do that? Even before we wake up our days are full of our kids, our spouses and their lives, and on top of everything - some moms work too! Not to mention the house work, the cooking, the house maintenance like grocery shopping and bill paying, actually finding time to get yourself somewhat decent looking with makeup and hair not in a ponytail, friend time, family time with both your family and family far away, AND we're suppose to eat right and exercise 3 times a week?! And now I'm saying to take an hour to relax by yourself? Half the time you can't even go to the bathroom by yourself!

Even the most together of moms get tired and stressed out and don't want to do a single thing more. We all have our snapping points, and that is okay! With our oldest starting school and my husband frequently on business trips, everything falls on me. So I need to find time, by myself, to focus on a happier me. If there is one thing I have learned from my 5 years as a mom, if I, myself, am not 100% feeling okay - the whole family suffers.

So moms, start taking the time to focus on you a little each day! It might be to fold laundry and watch a show on TV, read a chapter a night of a book, drink some tea (or wine lol) on the front porch and watch the stars come out. Whatever you decide, make sure it's just your time. No kids, and no spouses! Just you. Enjoying the peace and quiet till that baby screams at 2AM! And I promise you'll be thanking yourself later for taking that time to unwind and distress.