How do you enjoy your day OFF?

[Dina]

Thought it would be a great day off today...started off great with a, short but sweet, pampering at the hair salon then off to run other errands when I got stranded in the freeway with no gasoline. Horrible feeling! Worse of all, I had my little one with me. Poor DH had to leave work to come get us and get gasoline in my mini-van. Yikes! Surely, I have to be extra nice to him today.

And that's not all...got home to take a relaxing nap while little Christopher played in his room and I got a phone call from school that my older son was sick with a back ache and cough. Blah! When does a mom EVER enjoy a day off? When do we rest? Is there such a thing? My head's spinning and my back is about to break with so much stress---it's amazing we don't go literally NUTS! Sigh!

 

[corazon]

Day off?! What is that? lol!
It's true, moms aren't allowed to have a day off or do we get sick days or vacation days.
Though, today I will enjoy running errands with only one kid. Maybe I'll get a cup of coffee or something just for a little relaxing.
Keep up the great work Dina! Summer will be here before you know it!

 

[vyapti]

Day Off = Unpaid Work

My days off and evenings are usually spent doing chores, shopping, etc. Whatever free time I have is usually spent on family recreation. I stopped napping in 1993, so I'm not sure what an interrupted nap is even like. My recharge time comes between 11:00 and 1:00, after everyone has gone to bed.

 

[Alix]

Hey Dina, sounds about average for a Mom's Day off. Kate is home sick today too and I had errands that couldn't wait. So I went and picked up all the stuff for her ball team and brought it home only to discover that I was 4 short for the team. ARGH. Have a nice glass of wine tonight girl, you deserve it.

 

[mrsmac]

I am well and truly over days off at the moment!!! Having been off work since 3rd March I would kill to go to work!!! I will admit i would enjoy some days off where I can walk/drive/get my own lunch and cups of tea though!!
Aren't you working full time Dina? I would love to teach part time.

 

[mudbug]

I get to cook!

 

[Yakuta]

Hi Dina, I also have two boys and I always wonder about the same thing is there truly a day off (between an extremely demanding job, kids and their chores and a massive house). I guess my only day off is when I am on a vacation away from home. Still I am busy with kid chores and trying to make them comfortable or do things centered around them.

My idea of an evening off is to spend time with my best friend and go to ethnic markets and shop for stuff. We both love to sit and chat about home and decor stuff and prepare a nice meal and treat ourselves to it. With lives getting so busy we can only do it once in 6 months but when it does it always makes me feel rejuvinated.

 

[Jikoni]

What day off? Actually what I do is take a long weekend every couple of months to go somewhere alone and leave DH with the kids.the first time I did it was terrible, I was worried the whole time, I was actually in a hotel 15 mins from home just for a trial, then after that I went to another city in the same country, 45 mins drive and then two hours drive, and now I can travel to any European city. I call in the morning just after they have had breakfast, and in the evening just when I know they have had dinner and are getting ready for bed.My DH does the same, his are more football or rugby related weekends, or pop concerts from time to time with his friends.My kids are 8 and 5(to be 6 in July)Also travelling with work sometimes is like time off.I balance the two.

 

[Dina]

corazon,
I miss my days running errands with only "one" child. Now I end up hauling all three with me. I would like to think as coffee being relaxing for me but it only adds more nerves and lack of patience with the kids. Chamomile tea for me-keeps me from screaming at them.

Vyapti,
I already got two unpaid days. Blah-hate it! Missed Friday and today since two of my kids are still sick.

Alix,
Hope Kate starts feeling better soon. Happy birthday to her BTW!

MrsMac,
I am working full time but not for long. I will go part time again in August. I'm filling in for a teacher that left on maternity leave and has resigned. And believe me, the last couple of months of full time work have been exhausting trying to juggle three kids, a husband and house work. I don't do well with so much on my plate. Why have you been off work?

Yakuta,
Your girls' day out sounds wonderful. I just wish my friends would have the same interests I do.

Jikoni,
You are sure lucky to be able to leave every couple of months. I think of it every time just never get to do it.

I better go check on the kids now. Talk to you all later.

 

[buckytom]

what is a day off?

i've been working 6 days a week since may of '95, minus vactions and sick days. technically it's 7 days because my 6th day of work begins at 10pm on my first day off, and continues thru to about 9am on my 2nd day off.
so i'm actually at work every day of the week, in a way.

since i have very little time at home with the family, i pretty much have given up my sundays to do whatever my wife wants to do. this only bothers me in the fall, when i'd love to stay home, or go to a buddy's house to watch football. often, i tape the games to watch at work later, but it is extremely difficult to avoid knowing the score of the game by sunday night.

over the years, before my son, we would go usually go skiing on sundays during the winter; to craft fairs and street festivals in the spring and fall, and to the beach for a day in the summer. when the weather doesn't cooperate, we go out for brunch, and then mall shopping. i think i have perfected the "extremely bored hubby" look in mall stores by now.

and if you hate holding on to your wife's handbag while she tries on clothes, just put it around your neck like a feed bag, and when she comes out of the dressing room, see if you can get it spinning around your head like a hula hoop (remember to check that it's closed or things go flying, and the humor is lost). she'll never make you hold it again...

now with a little guy in tow, we still do most of the same things, sans skiing so far, but not as often. since dw is home with our boy everyday and i'm always working, frequently i tell dw to go out with her friends, or just do whatever she wants to get out of the house, and i stay home to get some house and yard work done while watching the little guy (read watch football...yay! while vacuuming and washing windows...boo! )

 

[vyapti]

and if you hate holding on to your wife's handbag while she tries on clothes, just put it around your neck like a feed bag, and when she comes out of the dressing room, see if you can get it spinning around your head like a hula hoop (remember to check that it's closed or things go flying, and the humor is lost). she'll never make you hold it again...

I'll have to remember that. I had to stop by the store the other day to pick up some maxi pads, the true sign of a dedicated husband. I had to call her in the aisle to find proper combination of length, thickness and shape. As we hashed thing sout, two older ladies openly smirked at my bewilderment. I was finally able to find EXACTLY what she asked for and when I returned home, she exclaimed "That'll have to work."

Back on topic, We met the in-laws on the Oregon Coast. We made several excursions to the beach. It was fun, but we could only tolerate the frigid cold for about an hour at a time--My boy is too 'cool' to wear a coat. We saw a glass blower practice his trade and had dinner at a seafood restaurant right on the beach. This SEAFOOD restaurant RIGHT ON THE BEACH, with ready access to the day's catch (meaning FRESH SEAFOOD) served nothing but deep fried fish, clams, etc. probably poured from a frozen cardboard box.

All in all, it was a good trip. The kids had a good time. My wife got to see her dad. I was able to build up some of points in my spouse account, which was drained during March Madness.

 

[BigDog]

If I'm not working the pay job, I'm continuing to work on my personal chef business.

Though sometimes I force myself to do something other then work. If I do that, it's usually goofing around on the computer (internet, games) or the "must see TV" shows in the Big Dog house.

 

[Dove]

My last days off was last Oct when I spent 21 days in the Rehab. Nursing Home with a hip replacement...The food wasn't very good but hey ...room service..

 

[mudbug]

Deliberately took a day off today after a hellish week last week at work on the PFH (project from ****...almost finished now).

Got up at 6:30 to take daughter to the bus.
Folded laundry from last night.
Forgot the cleaning lady was coming at 8 so couldn't go back to bed.
Put the bathroom rugs in the washing machine.
Went to the farther-away grocery store to get HH's brand of cigs.
Went to closer grocery store to drop off HH's prescription.
Went next door to Curves to work out.
Went back to grocery store to pick up HH's prescription, get milk and wine.
Came home, put bathroom rugs in dryer and towels in washing machine.
Paid cleaning lady, re-arranged stuff she left in wrong places, turned off lights left on (other than this, she's been great, so I'm keeping her).
Put clean bathroom rugs down in clean bathroom.
Let dogs in and out a few times. Wiped their paws every time they came back in (rainy today).
Checked in here to scan what I've missed the last few days, but I am getting ready to take my shoes off for awhile and do nothing until 2:30, when I have to pick up daughter for orthodontist appointment.

Except get the towels out of the dryer and put away the load I did last night.

I think I need another day off!

 

[Claire]

All of you: Your energy amazes me! I have no children and we were able to retire early (these two are definitely connected!). My favorite goof-off, though, is a day when we "play tourist" in our own home town. We have always lived in tourist destinations, and quite often people who do don't take the time to appreciate it. So a perfect sunny day will find me browsing the library, then hitting my favorite Main Street shops (most food-oriented!). If we have out of area guests, we will have a shopping marathon topped by drinks at our favorite "third places", then either eat out or cook out or make a favorite meal. We did similar things at other places we lived: a day in Honolulu, Waikiki, Orlando (favorite place: Park Avenue), St Augustine, Old Town Alexandria, Williamsburg, etc. So many people don't take the time to see their own homes the way the tourists do.