If You Give a Mom a Week Off…

Last week was our first week break after six weeks of school. I had Grand Plans, you all. Grand. A list a mile long of things that were going to be accomplished.

Oh, how that list can mock me.

Monday morning dawned bright and early, and I snuggled for a little bit of extra sleep. Within fifteen minutes of waking up, a migraine started and day one was pretty well shot. And then Tuesday as well  when another migraine decided to join in the fun, after we had our high school co-op fortunately. A little accomplished, but not as much of a dent as hoped. Wednesday was touch and go, but I just felt off again – and little was accomplished.

The kids though? They managed to prove that they can get along for entire days without one unkind word, were sweet as can be, ACTUALLY HELPED EACH OTHER CLEAN THEIR ROOMS (including the massive Lego disaster of 2015), created an entire Harry Potter Lego Hogwarts (complete with a quidditch field) and played peacefully together.

That alone was pure bliss, you all, because there are days when two of the kids bickering can drive me to the brink of insanity and just about push me over the edge. (Just being real – and then some).

Thursday my hubby stayed home so we could all go apple picking together. And then the baking started. Then I somehow got oven-happy and thought since my list was already shot, so why not make pumpkin snicker doodles, pumpkin spice cookie skillet, apple pie lasagna (it sounds weird, but is so yummy), and sausage dip.

Friday a friend and I (with the help of the kids), peeled, sliced, and cooked two bushels of Golden Delicious apples to freeze some yummy applesauce. Not nearly enough to keep us going for super long, but it really was so much cheaper than store-bought (and yummier too!). Sixteen quarts are stored for now.

Apparently we need to be back in school, because all the treats around are just not a good thing (grins).

Honestly, I need to remember that a break in general is a GOOD THING for the mom as well. The school room did get a deep clean, I caught up on high school class descriptions from last year (cough), and there were a few things marked off my overall list, but not nearly as much as my over-ambitious brain wanted to accomplish.

Instead Laurianna and I spent an hour talking and working on watercolors together. The younger three spent a crazy amount of time explaining (in detail) their Lego creations. We baked together. Spent time with friends. Read and listened to books. We lived life and made the best of our time, even if it wasn’t following my list.

The list can wait. Living life in the moment – THAT is what it’s really all about, isn’t it?