I had a choice. It was either stay up late to get on top of the washing pile and be extra tired the next day, or go to bed a little earlier and wake drowning in piles of clothes, not so tired but cranky nonetheless.
Both options didn’t appeal to me but after a big weekend, the washing was absolutely ridiculous, and something needed to be done. Well, I stayed up late. Very late. And I was really tired the next morning.
After I dragged through the school morning rush, I came home again, and walked around the house, and sat down, and got up again, trying to motivate myself to do something. Coffee didn’t help. It was going to be one of those drag-myself-through days, I thought.
I heard the banging of the big yellow truck before I saw my son who was carrying it. Totally out of the blue he said, “Mum, do you think we can go to the beach today? Not to swim, but to play in the sand?”
I didn’t want to go to the beach. I didn’t want to do anything expect curl up in bed, a little pathetically, and sleep. I sat there for a few moments trying to work out what to do. I had SO much to do at home. So much!
But the day was beautiful outside and I really didn’t have a good reason not to follow through on my son’s suggestion. I often remind myself this time with my son is precious as he will be at school next year; a season of my parenting life over.
I sat on the warm sand with the winter sun on my back as I sipped a take away coffee while my daughter and son played.
“Mum, we made a discovery!”
“There’s a whale, or maybe a shark!”
“Look at this shell.”
Watching them was pure delight and my heart felt warm, the world seemed good and bright and the salt air filling my lungs lifted the heaviness in my head like running water over a muddy rock.
I looked up from where I sat as a lady and her dog walked past.
“It’s a beautiful day! Too beautiful to stay inside.” I smiled at her. It was far cry from my pathetic I-want-to-stay-in-bed-forever approach earlier in the day.
“Isn’t it!?” she smiled back. “I need to wash my floors at home but it’s so beautiful out today.”
“Yes! I have so much to do at home too, but the kids asked if we could come to the beach and I didn’t really have any reason not to.”
“That’s it. Kids are much more important; they grow up so quickly.”
Affirmation, right there.
Later at home again, I carried a spring in my step and the afternoon was a productive one.
The best thing I did that day: listen to my son. It changed the entire course of my day. Grateful.
7 Comments
Maxabella
May 23, 2012 at 10:37 pmYour a good mum (and a fun mum, of course). Sometimes we’ve just gotta get outside. x
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
May 24, 2012 at 7:04 amThat’s it…sometimes you just have to get outside. xx
Brenda
May 24, 2012 at 7:13 amRyley’s home with me we head outside to the local park and throw rocks in the creek or my other favourite thing to do is to put some music on (love my pop music) and have a rocking big dance together – it’s utter joy to see his face light up as soon as he hears the music up nice and loud 🙂
Ellie at Emerald Pie
May 24, 2012 at 7:14 amOh you did the right thing. I’ve made decisions like that before and never regretted any. (well ok, maybe one, but thats a long story!). Hope you get lots more sunny days.
Lyndall
May 24, 2012 at 1:06 pmHere here! I had our Bible study group coming over last night and had a million things to do to get ready… so an out-of-the-blue request from another mum at kindy to join them at a park for afternoon tea was not on my to-do list. But we decided to go anyway…. spontaneity (sp?) is a challenge for me, but with school looming ever closer, I’m trying hard to loosen my grip on my to-dos… we had a blast, got to know some new friends and I don’t think my home group girls minded crunching their shoes over my unswept floor last night!!! Enjoy 🙂
Erin
May 24, 2012 at 9:19 pmI’m trying to do this too, instead of being ‘cranky mummy’ (which is what I’ve been lately with a lot of stress). Today was a miserable rainy day in Sydney but we put on gumboots and raincoats this afternoon and went out to look for puddles to jump in – Miss 2 and Miss 4 had a ball! You made a great choice Kelly 🙂
Tierney
May 24, 2012 at 9:30 pmMy favourite time of the whole week is going to swimming lessons with the boys and sitting in the sun. Forced time off, outside! I buy a coffee from the canteen and just sit and chill while they have lessons then run around in the water park. Makes me feel so much happier about life!