Last night I got out by myself for a few hours to get together with some other homeschool moms. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve gotten out at night by myself since we moved to the island.
The logistics of life have made it difficult. Nursing a baby means being home at night to help put her to bed. I only weaned Elisabeth a few months ago. For much of the time we’ve lived on Bainbridge I’ve been either pregnant or nursing, with little energy left at the end of the day.
But even without a baby at home, the island is a quiet place at night. The only place open after 8 or so – besides the cinema – is the pub. One night a friend and I tried to go there and the little place was packed. So our next option was to drive 20+ minutes to Poulsbo, to go to a restaurant there. I guess the fact that many people commute to Seattle from the island early in the mornings means that many places close down early in the night. Driving through our neighborhood around 10 pm or so, I see that most of the homes are dark, people already in bed. For our family though – as evident by my postings – since we are free from ferry and bus routines – we enjoy staying up late at night…I wish a few more businesses around here felt that way too….
I think that getting out is great both for me and for the rest of the family. The girls and Ted get some time to bond together and establish their little treats and traditions.
This morning I asked the girls:
What did you do with Daddy last night?
Abigail replied:
Read books.
Nuts. (a family tradition, cracking nuts before the fireplace)
Computer. (big surprise!)
Play music. Jars of Clay.
They had fun. Didn’t seem to miss me at all. Happy and helpful in the morning.
And I get to have some fun with friends. I’m glad that we as a family are at a stage now where my girls can go to bed without me. Although I miss them, I feel that having a little break now and then refreshes me and makes me more grateful to be a mom when I see them again in the morning. It helps me be more grateful for Ted too.
1 response so far ↓
1 emily // Jan 15, 2004 at 2:46 pm
I feel the same way about getting out of the house once in a while. I need the mental and emotional space, to feel refreshed (at least a little) and glad to come back. And to appreciate my husband more too! Of course they all “glom” on to me the moment I walk in the door and it all starts over again…well, that’s just the stage I’m in right now.