"It's after noon! What are you doing still in your nightgown?" Tom asked me.
I was as surprised as he was. Sitting at the computer, I had lost track of time. "This would never have happened in my previous life," I told him. From the time I could dress myself until just recently, I wouldn't have been caught dead in my pajamas after eleven in the morning.
I have changed - in some ways (photography, exercise, college classes, writing) I'm simply drifting back to my pre-kids/pre-husband self. But in others, it's like I'm becoming a new person. For instance, I've always liked beer. It was part of my identity - in fact, I verged on being a beer snob. But now, I don't. Just like that (snap fingers.) Now I prefer wine. Dry wine, which I never liked before. It's weird. I blame it on hormones.
I like this laid-back-Saturday-morning side of me, though. After I had kids, relaxed Saturdays disappeared, as if the two couldn't exist in the same galaxy. It got worse the older they got: early morning cartoons became early morning soccer games, then not just soccer games, but UIL tournaments, marching band contests, one-act-play festivals, and cross-country meets. Often all on the same day. A rare free Saturday was like the belle of a ball - the dance card didn't stay empty long. I learned to write really small so I could fit everything into the tiny squares on the calendar.
Lately, some Saturday squares have been empty - and stayed empty. I'm remembering how to relax. Tom and I sleep in till nine or so, then I make muffins for everyone, drink my coffee, eat my toast and read. I feed the dogs on the back porch, listen to the birds, and drink more coffee. At eleven I drink still more coffee and watch Rick Steve's Europe, pretending I'm still on the whirlwind, low-budget tour of Europe my parents graciously gave me when I was seventeen.
In the afternoon, Tom and I might take the dogs for a walk, or go exploring the hills in the Suzuki Samurai. Sometimes he heads down to the garage to watch television, uh, I mean, to get it organized, while Kendall and I go shopping.
It has taken some time and a lot of effort, but we're gradually getting better and better at totally ignoring all the work that needs to be done around the house. It just proves that perseverence pays off.
