Tuesday, I take a Personal Day

Tuesday, I began my day as usual: extremely tired, in desperate need of a shower longer than 3 minutes and 15 seconds, and ready to start my day. Isabelle then proceeded to have a fit over every little thing. We tried on three or four shirts, a couple pairs of pants and then just broke down completely (her not me...yet). The sleeves were the wrong length, the fabric wasn't the right texture, etc. and beyond. After a few quick meditative breaths, I got myself dressed, scooped up Henry and we went downstairs. The whirling brewing cyclone followed and eventually we found the eye of the storm by closing the door to the playroom and waiting out the storm. Isabelle and I both realised she was too tired to cope with anything other than total control of her surroundings since she had no control of her feelings, so I head back upstairs...put my pj's back on (this was one of the issues that added fuel to the fire). We then get dressed...at the same time. Eat our toast...at the same time. Sip our water...at the same time. The kids play and soon enough Henry is ready for a nap. I put him down and he goes straight to sleep...this is rare..he must have been exhausted being witness to his sister's fury. I put on a show for Isabelle and I hop into the shower for a long relaxing downpour.

It's then that I decide I need a personal day.

Yes, a personal day used to be a day when I knew I needed to either recharge or keep going to work and eventually get sick and have to take a sick day. I would call in. Feel guilty for a couple hours and then get over it eventually. I'd stay in bed reading for a couple hours. Doze off. Take a long shower and then go for a walk. These days a Personal day looks a bit different. I don't bother feeling guilty that I might not make it back in time for Isabelle's gymnastics class. The kids are content most of the day, because let's face it...if they're not having a good day then I'm definitely not having a good day either. So I don't have to feel guilty about anything.

So my personal day went a bit like this:

I decide we are heading to the Atrium Mall. I have been wanting to take the kids to the bookstore to spend the rest of the generous gift certificates that their great Aunts and Uncles bought them for Christmas a year ago. I treat myself to a car detail and wash. I order my favourite salad from Cheesecake Factory; the French Country Small Salad. Small being a non-existent concept at the Cheesecake Factory. I also order a slice of carrot cake to bring home for dinner dessert. After the bookstore, we head over to Pottery Barn Kids and Henry and Isabelle play in the kitchen. It's very quiet at the mall (surprising but true) so I have a seat and just watch them play. Then we go back to the bookstore for a coffee (me not them) and I have promised Isabelle ice cream (she saw some adults eating ice cream in their car as we drove to the mall...there goes my story that places don't serve ice cream anymore because it is winter.) so I get her some ice cream on the way out. She is mellow for the rest of the day because I drew a very clear line in the morning and she didn't like what happened when she tried to cross it. We go home, and Isabelle doses off for a much needed nap and Henry sings along to his favourite new Music Together CD the Sticks album.

I come home feeling rejuvenated (again this is a relative term). My car is clean and crumb free. The children have had a full day and I'm not to exhausted.

We miss gymnastics...there's always next week.