Time out...for Mama

The purpose of this post is two-fold: to brag on my sweet husband and to sound the need for an occasional respite for tired moms (husbands, take note). Last week was a pretty stressful week with the kids. I can't remember exactly all the difficulties--maybe I've blocked them from my memory--but by Thursday night I was just worn out and stressed and overwhelmed. Maybe it was prompted by the huge sigh I heaved as I cleaned Benjamin's hands mid-dinner (as he was refusing to eat...again) that Seth left the table and returned a minute later with the car keys and a Starbucks card. "I want you to take these and go. I'll take care of the kids." My sense of duty and my super-mom complex almost protested. ("I'll be fine." "I'm just tired." "You've had a hard week too.") But really I knew I desperately needed a break. Not long after I was on my way to Starbucks, book in hand, for a time out. I sat in an armchair, drinking my decaf nonfat caramel machiato, reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (book 7 comes out in July, you know, I'm in my pre-release preparation mode) for an hour or so. I paused at the end of a chapter, took a deep breath that released in a smile, and closed the book. It doesn't take very long for a mom's batteries to recharge. What a difference an hour makes! As I walked to the car I called Seth. "Can I come home now? I promise I'll be good."