Alex is at Nonna's (my mom's) for a couple of days. She's been begging for some time with him at her house. They're having a great time. Obviously it's a win-win situation for all involved. I had lofty goals for myself for today including an 8:30 step class at the Y, deep cleaning my house from top to bottom and miscellaneous projects that I just don't seem to get done on a day-to-day basis (like organizing pots/pans, getting rid of clutter, etc.). I planned be so productive with a day to myself.

Well, of course, I did not set the alarm this morning with Alex gone. I woke up and looked at the clock, which said 8:29. So much for the step class! I'll go to the gym a little later or take a walk, I thought. So, I picked up my book that I can't seem to put down. It's been way too long since I've read some good fiction. Somehow a good chunk of my day was spent doing a whole lot of nothing like reading, eating breakfast, watching Regis and Kelly and some Olympics coverage (which I had not watched any of yet), messing around on the computer, eating an unbalanced lunch. At this point (around 1:00), I finally changed clothes, put on a sports bra, put my hair in a ponytail and while in the process of retrieving my iPod, it started pouring down rain outside...for 10 seconds. I kid you not. I took that as a sign that I needed to go back and read my book for a little while longer since it's now wet outside and will most likely rain some more, haha. I can find a "reason" to talk myself into anything "lazy."

By 2:00, I (finally) made myself get outside for a walk around the neighborhood. I blared Kari Jobe and breathed in the fresh air. It was a beautiful afternoon with the sun in and out and a nice breeze. Internally, I was feeling guilty and beating myself up about not accomplishing ANYTHING on my mental checklist for today. I had been awake for at least 6 hours with nothing to show for it. I was tearing myself down and then I kept hearing the same two words from God over and over again, "That's okay, that's okay." And those negative thoughts began to dissipate and I realized heck yeah, it's okay. And then I was thinking, "Who cares?" Who cares how I end up spending my day to myself? No one should. Would it be nice to open up my cupboard and see perfectly stacked pots and pans or less clutter everywhere I looked? Sure, it would. Is it necessary to do it? No, it's not. Even though I had original intentions of accomplishing various things today, it's OKAY that it hasn't happened yet. It's okay that I'm just now getting out of the house at 2:00. It's okay that I got to relish some time lounging in bed while taking in a delightful book. It was not how I planned it, but it was how it happened. It was not productive, but had the time been enjoyable for me? Yes, it had been :-)

I got home at 3:00 feeling great from the fresh air and exercise and at peace about how I had spent my time. Also, I felt energized to accomplish something other than leisurely "stuff," so I turned up the music in the house (any task is bearable with good music!) and went to work. From 3-5pm, I cleaned like crazy. Certainly it wasn't the level of cleaning I could have done if I started bright and early this morning and no special projects per se, but my house is clean, things are back in their places (even if it means added to some pile!) and it felt so good when I was done.

At that point, I hopped in the shower and got ready for a date night. We had a nice dinner at Scotty's Brewhouse (which I had not been to since my college days) and some leisurely time at Borders. It was a great day!

I am SO grateful for a day to myself, I really am. Mike and I are blessed beyond measure to have parents who love Alex so much and are able and willing to have him. We do not take the time, or the gift, for granted. We get a day, or two, of reprieve every 6 weeks, or so. I have friends who do not get to experience this occasional "rejuvenation" time for whatever reason. And their kids and the grandparents then don't have the bonding time, which makes me a little sad. But, I also have friends whose parents/relatives live in town and they get several hours, or an overnight, quite often since family is local. I will take my one day every 6 weeks and spend it how it feels right for me. I will cherish it no matter how I choose to pass the time...whether it be shopping, getting a hair cut, cleaning house, getting together with friends, quality time with my husband. The possibilities are endless. I spent today how I wanted to and THAT'S OKAY!

Thank you God for this day!