Ok all you moms. You manage to get your kids to football, dance, swimming, soccer, piano, violin, skating, yoga and a million other activities. You clean the house, walk the dog, go to work, sell chocolates for the school, deliver forgotten lunches, put bandaids on boo boos and in a day you do a million things for a million other people. But when is the last time you did anything for yourself. Sit and have a cup of tea (I boil the kettle and remember an hour later when it's already cold) call a friend for lunch (this week I remember at 3 pm that I forgot lunch) exercise or go to Weight Watchers (the last two weeks I have had to take four kids to the weigh in. I hoped they would let us all get on the scale and divide the number by 5 but no such luck. Last week Ellie showed up at WW with a cookie and no pants. I bet she's the only one in history to do that)
The point is that in order for you to have anything to give to your children, husband, community or job you have to make sure the well isn't empty and how you fill that is up to you but make sure you find someway to have some "Mommy Time" or you won't be any good for anyone. I am very lucky to make the time for family and friends. You don't just "find the time" you have to "make the time".
Here are some of the things that I have done lately to replenish the well.
Olivia and I met my mom in Moose Jaw this weekend for a Girl's Weekend. I had a wedding to do which was lots of fun too! Here we are on the driveway getting ready to go.
Pit stop in Caranport. Coffee makes Mommy happy! It looks like we exited the van in some type of Emergency Drill!
First stop Yvette Moore Gallery for Lunch.
Who knew PB and J could be so fancy!
Delicious.
We are having fun....Remember?
That's better. She found the Decadent Chocolate Fudge Cake on the menu.
Good to the last lick!
The trip was a lot about food and relaxing and what better place then the spa. We ate, swam, had treatments and watched a total girl movie.
Girls gone wild!
Now these gals made my day! The Red Hat Society. I asked if I could take a picture to show my Splurge Group. I am sure that we will all still be together and one day will be wearing feathered purple and red hats ourselves.
Here is a poem written in 1998 that started this whole movement. Well I think us moms need a movement of our own. Before you have kids life is a non stop party, then once the kids have moved out you are older, wiser, richer, have more free time and have time to golf and play bridge. Us moms we are the ones who need a society!
| When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter. I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells And run my stick along the public railings And make up for the sobriety of my youth. I shall go out in my slippers in the rain And pick flowers in other people's gardens And learn to spit. You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat And eat three pounds of sausages at a go Or only bread and pickle for a week And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes. But now we must have clothes that keep us dry And pay our rent and not swear in the street And set a good example for the children. We must have friends to dinner and read the papers. But maybe I ought to practice a little now? So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple. Jenny Joseph |
| Because I'm a Mom, I wear a Mom Bun And rarely wear makeup but often sweatpants that don't fit me I spend all my money on groceries and my children's activity fees And book orders, and say I have no money left to shop for clothes. I shall never sit down not even when I'm tired And gobble up crumbs of grilled cheese off the high chair tray While my children cover my walls with fingerprints and marker I will try to remember why I had so many children. I shall run out at midnight in my P.J s for fever reducing medicine And blow noses and wipe poo and kiss owies And learn to live on no sleep. You can wear maternity shirts to cover your baby weight Even though your baby is two years old. And so what if when you jump on the trampoline you pee your pants Or show up to a business meeting with a soother attached to your shirt? But now we must take care of an endless mound of laundry And pay our mortgage and not swear at our family And set a good example for the children. We must be supermoms and do what is right. But maybe I ought to take some time for myself! So don't be surprised if you see and my good friends out for a cocktail With our mom buns and sweat pants complaining about our day. We try to stay out just long enough that the kids are bathed and put to bed, Then sneak quietly into bed without waking our husbands! Corla Rokochy My awesome mother in law and her Breast Friends have just released their fourth cookbook, Breast Wishes for Christmas. We are all so proud of their accomplishments having raised over one million dollars for Cancer causes. You can buy the books at your local store or online at http://www.breastfriends.ca/ |
Speaking of my in laws, they have retired and to celebrate we are planning a trip of a lifetime to DisneyWorld. Here is Ellie doing her best Macully Caulkin Home Alone face. I think the trip will be exactly like that scene from the movie with 16 of us flying on the same plane.
Ellie is a superstar ready for the paparazzi
The countdown on our superscratched kitchen table. I am hoping that is my 10th wedding anniversary present.
Dad and the kids look through the itinerary and are getting excited!
We recently met up with the Rokochy family (the adults at least) for some of that Me time I was talking about to golf at the gorgeous and frustrating Habour Golf Course in Elbow. The scenery was amazing.
Enough to make us feel romantic.
Pat taking notes from his older brother. He fixed my swing with one observation, "Keep your front foot on the ground". Wow now if it was that easy to fix the rest of my crazy life!
I also had the opportunity to golf at the Sask Landing Course. Lovely Linda that Pat works with asked me to golf on her team. It was individual play and my score for 18 was 135. I think I was dead last in the tournament but at least we had fun. Next time I play a brand new course and have to keep track of every stroke I probably won't demo a new set of clubs.
My awesome next door neighbour took this picture of Kelsey and I at the Rider Game. She is the one who wears earings to the bus stop but I can forgive her since she took such a nice picture for me.
And she also sent me this picture of Carson playing at her house. He told me to send it back to her and I told him I did! I know Ryan C will have something to say about this!
So in closing make some time to spend with friends, family, a special date with one of your kids or just a stroll by yourself. It will do you a world of good.
