Some unexpected me time

For the summer, my son Jesse is taking preschool twice a week. I have him there full-time instead of part-time, because I want to “gel into” the full-time schedule since that is what he is going to be signed up for in the fall. Jennifer is not taking summer school this year, but today I had an unexpected surprise: She got to stay at Jesse’s school today.

I was surprised and a little nervous at first. I didn’t know how Jen would take to this “school setting” during what is supposed to be her summer vacation. But, it was only one day out of the week. And she seemed so eager to be there. So I just let that worry go and decided to wait and see how it turned out.

At the same time, I was taken off guard. I’m so used to having at least ONE child home with me every day this summer. Now they were BOTH at summer school!

The shock hit me so much, I actually had to stop walking on my way into the grocery store as I realized ... my children weren’t there.

They were in summer school.

Both of them.

I was ... I was ... (gasp!) ALONE!

I was FREEEE!!!!

Okay, seriously, though. I actually had a hard time accepting this. I kept looking around like they were missing, or something, and I had to find them. It was such a big grocery store, you know. What if they wandered too far? What if a stranger kidnapped them? What if they had wandered out of the store???

But, wait. I had to remind myself. Both kids were in summer school. I did not have one child at home with her father. I did not have one child missing at the store. They were at school. Summer school. Both of them.

Wooooow.

And after the shock faded, I started to wonder: What am I going to do with myself??

Well, the OBVIOUS answer is ... WRITE! Write like the wind!

I had already written two articles earlier in the morning, while the children slept. Maybe I’ll write some more!

And ... maybe watch a movie? Read a book? Run some errands?

Instead of making plans, though, I just took the day as it came. Yes, I did write. I worked on the charity ebook. But I also read a crapload of articles on the Internet. Hung out on Facebook. Answered a bunch of emails collecting dust in my inbox. And sent my articles off to an E-zine.

I also FINALLY organized Jesse’s closet, cleaned the bedrooms and did some assorted housekeeping. Took some time to read, sure. The newspaper. ( I read a book AFTER the kids came home. And Jennifer told me she had a great time. Phew!) And I also took care of some financial business over the phone.

In other words, I got quite a bit of stuff done. And even after the kids came home, I got MORE stuff done. Did some book promo and sent off a book review.

The truth is, I can still be productive whether or not the kids are at home. True, I can be MORE productive when they are at school or at a friend’s house. (I just can’t clean Jesse’s room when he is home, though. Because he makes a whole ‘nother toy mess in an area I JUST tidied up right after I tidy it up.) Still, it was nice to get things done without distraction today. Or without worrying about the kids. It was nice.

I hope Jen will be up to visiting the preschool again next week. And I also hope the teacher is ok with that being a “Thursday thing.”