Every year spring break sneaks up on me. Like one day I’m pulling out gloves and hats and taking down Valentine’s Day decorations and the next day I’m running to the store frantically buying egg-shaped peanut butter cups and more plastic eggs than is needed. And then it’s spring break and I have no plans. Nothing. Luckily this year I had some hindsight and signed Jack up for a camp day with a few friends.
But other than that it was a long week filled with rain and tears and messes. It was 10 days of trying to keep a 1-year-old happy and a 6-year-old entertained. It was feeding the baby lots of the expensive organic baby cookies that she loves so that her brother could paint pottery. It was being guilted into a second pottery painting because “I was rushing him”.
It was me eating entirely too much Easter cake and candy because it was there. It was the Easter food being followed by my husbands birthday where there was more food and of course cake.
It was a lot of feeling like I should have planned better and that I should be doing more, mixed with not wanting to do more. After an outing on Monday I threw all the plans of going out or getting things done out the window because it just wasn’t happening.
It was a day spent playing pretend school because he missed his friends and the structure and the activities. There was a lot of, you can play with your Kindle or why don’t we have some quiet time.
And there was no alone time. Not a moment where I wasn’t needed or wanted or having someone touching me. Even the dog was extra needy. I was so grateful when Jack had a friend over and there was some reprieve and even more grateful when that friends mom had him over.
It had me thinking about summer and how we need some plans and some structured activity and how I need to have some alone time at some point. Because I don’t do well when I don’t get it. I get like a preschooler who missed their nap and is now running around destroying everything in sight.
So on Sunday night as I happily put the kids to bed and thought about how much better this week was going to be now that we would have our routines back. I realized that for the first time in 10 days no one was needing me. John was watching TV, the dog was sleeping under my chair as opposed to on it. I was actually free to do what I wanted.
So I did what I wanted to do, I sat down at my computer, poured a glass of wine and ate a salted caramel ice cream bar. Last summer I stole a few moments to myself sitting outside eating ice cream. It’s simple and it’s only a few minutes but just those couple of minutes of indulgence are enough to pull me back from the brink. And my little snack last night was a reminder that it’s important to take a break. It’s important to take a few minutes for myself. It’s important not to feel like I have to be and do all things all the time.
So maybe this wasn’t the best spring break ever. Maybe it didn’t go the way I imagined it. There’s always next year and I’ve learned that come summer I need to have some plans and keep the fridge stocked with ice cream and wine.
I was sent JC’s Nudies and JC’s Pie Pops to try. These frozen treats are just the right little indulgence after a long day and the right amount of calories so that I’m not stressing about snacking too much.
My favorite is the JC’s salted caramel Nudies and the JC’s Chocolate Silk Pie Pop and yes, they pair well with wine. Whether it’s ice cream or a glass of wine or unwinding with a good book or binge watching a show at the end of a long day, all moms need a break, especially when the kids are on spring break.
I was sent JC’s Nudies and JC’s Pie Pops to try, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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