thursday. off.

let me just start by saying that i had EVERY intention of being productive yesterday. 
when my lovely mama asked to take my boys & my niece for the entire day this thursday and next, i gladly said "yes".  the boys would get some much needed Nana-time, and i would, in turn, have two entire thursdays. off. 

all week long, i have been adding thing after thing to my to-do list.  mostly things that are SO much easier to do without having to lug around two little boys.  two little boys, mind you, who decide they are all of the sudden limp noodles whenever i need to run errands or shop.  thus i end up carrying my 40 lb four year old on one hip,and my 28lb two year old on the other hip, throughout the store.  ugh.

having only 9 days left until Christmas (as of yesterday), and having not purchased a single gift yet.....i had a lot on my list. 

i would run to mall, run to the post office, run to joann's, run to the library, run to the rack (selfishly, to look for new boots for myself), run to fred meyer, run to kohls, work on the mountain of ironing while catching up on the 15 episodes of ellen i have on the dvr,  and the list goes on....and on.....and on.

it all went out the window when my husband asked me to lunch.  we rarely get to spend alone time together, especially during the day.  so when he had a break in his day, i gladly oblidged and joined him for lunch.  we went to beverly's at the coeur d'alene resort and enjoyed a warm bowl of salmon chowder and a dungeness crab melt.  yum.  it was a lovely little lunch date. 

okay....so i suppose i wasn't entirely unproductive.  i did manage to hit up the mall and post office before heading to lunch.  but after lunch was a different story. 

i stopped at home, grabbed a book and headed back out.  i realized that this was my day off....and i had better enjoy it.  so on i drove....to barnes & noble. 

the car ride there was strangely silent.  i don't know that i have driven in the car all alone in months.  there were no fighting kids in the backseat, no "hey victor...hey freddy, let's eat some...spaghetti...hey victor, i'm ready....to eat some...spaghetti...with freddy" (thank you co-op) blarring from the stereo, no kicking on the back of my seat.  it was strangely. silent.  a nice silent.


i spent the next 4+ hours cozied up in the comfy barnes & noble chairs, reading.  peppermint mocha in hand. 


on the car ride home, i found myself humming the spaghetti song.  i was ready to get back to my sweet little boys.  that little break was all i needed to appreciate just how much i truly love all of their noise.

thanks mama, for the lovely day off. 

now to decide how i will spend my next thursday off.....likely, the very same way.