15 things I can’t wait to do once my kids start school
I’m not gonna do it. I’m not going to stop and think about how I started this blog what feels like yesterday, before my daughter was even a dream. I’m not going to dwell on the fact that she’s growing up so freaking fast and though I’m searching, frantically for a pause button, she’s still maturing before my eyes.
Instead, I’m focusing on the many things I’m looking forward to the moment she steps on the bus, and her brother begins his preschool class. That’s twice a week. Twice a week I’ll have five whole hours to myself. During the day. OMG I CAN’T WAIT.
Once my kids start school it’s on. Here are 15 things I’m excited to do:
1. Work. Lame, I know. But I’m so excited to have uninterrupted time to work on my blog, new projects, and other tasks I’ve had to put off.
2. Sleep: I’m not a morning person, so after the hassle of getting the kids off to school might just sleep until they get home. In fact, I may just spend the first two months of the school year catching up on sleep.
3. Lunch dates: I can catch up with the ladies at some place without a playground and actually finish a conversation.
4. Finish reading Harry Potter (and the other books on my shelves): I take it back, I’ll spend the first couple months of back-to-school doing nothing but plowing through the rest of this series. Though reading a long time makes me tired, so this could also help with #2.
5. Take advantage of my husband: If we’re not careful we may be starting over on this baby charade. The house will be empty. Just sayin’.
6. Go shopping alone: I had the opportunity to get a few groceries without the kids the other day. It was so amazing. I can’t wait to experience that again, and maybe even try it at a clothing store..
7. Go to the bathroom alone: Look ya’ll, I’m not asking for much, just to do a few things by myself. And since becoming a mom, I don’t believe I’ve ever done this. I can’t wait to see what it’s like.
8. Blast explicit music and bad TV: It’s not that I have bad taste. It’s just that anything other than PBS and Kid’s Bop has been off limits during the day. Not anymore!
9. Get pampered: Ok maybe now I’m asking for a lot. But mani/pedis and the occasional massage? I’ve earned it.
10. Play with my kids toys: Finally I can be the architect the amazing train track I’ve been dreaming of without my kids bossing me around.
11. Organize all of my photos: Make new photo books and probably cry looking at how much my kids have grown.
12. Go on road trips: How far can I get and back in 5 hours?
13. Have a whine-free lunch (while sipping on my fake wine): I’ll still have to make it, but I won’t have to hear them whining about wanting something else.
14. Not change diapers: Or deal with anyone else’s poop or pee but my own, in the bathroom alone.
15. Spend quality time with my kids: What? But they’re at school! Yea, but you know the phrase “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”? That’s what’s up.
Now that I’ve got my schedule planned til next summer, I can’t wait to get started.
What are you looking forward to once your kids start school?
Tags: back to school, funny, humor, motherhood, school
Looking forward to SILENCE! Ah, the noise is non-stop. I’m waiting to hear copious amounts of nothing 🙂
Haha! Me too girl, me too!
My son starts a new preschool in 2 weeks and I was sad about it until I read this. I’m definitely going to have to think of all the things I can do while he’s at school before my maternity leave is over.
I’m glad this was able to brighten your mood just a little bit! I am somehow holding back the sad and ready for this next phase. But um… ask me again Monday morning.
Hahaha!! Really enjoyed this post 🙂 Congrats on your newly acquired you-time! I have 3 kids under 2yrs, so I’m in the thick of it, but my time shall come 😉
Oh it definitely will come. I can’t believe I’m here already… Wait wait… THREE under 2? Is there a set of twins in there?
I have an entirely different list of things I’m looking forward to when all the rest of the kids go back to school, but then we homeschool!
Haha, what are you looking forward to Lori? Learning fun new stuff? I guess I’m excited about that too, but I’m trying to focus on the funny to keep myself from crying.
I had a little taste of this earlier this year when I lost my job out of the blue. I had one kid in school and another in daycare, and I dropped the younger one down to two days, both to save a few bucks and spend more time with him. I still wanted to keep him in the groove and keep our spot, but I also needed time where I could schedule interviews and know he was already covered. I loved all of it, but those days were really great. I’d go to the gym in the morning, enjoy some quiet time, go shopping, do crafty stuff, and run any errand quickly! I went to the local art gallery that I’d never been to, and just generally fit in as much me time as I could, because I knew it was limited. And my time with him was fun, too, and of course, he napped in the afternoons! Now I have a great job and I’m so grateful for it, but I do miss that time, both the solo time and the time with my son. Now I’m back to the hectic life and trying to maintain enough energy to have quality time with my kids at night. It’s not easy. Enjoy this time while you can!
Oh man Amy I totally feel you. Maternity leave was so laid back and fun (though I didn’t really have much time away minus afternoon runs I forced myself to do). I have no idea how hectic life is about to get with school but hopefully it won’t be too bad. I hope you get back into a nice groove you enjoy again soon!
I can totally understand 5, 6 & 7. Every time we use the bathroom and close the door, it’s like we broke some house rule we never knew existed. Once they barge in they point their cute little fingers and say no mommy, no closing door! and then they stomp outb (it’s a group effort now). So, basically we have limited having guests …yeah its happened :-). If our kids end up in school I would love for my husband and I to re-watch our favorite series all over again (ER, Dr. Quinn Medicine woman and I’m still waiting, and praying for the full release of Living Single) & video gaming. All uninterrupted. Oh and did I forget fabric shopping and crafting, oh man I have to stop.
Why can’t we pee alone? I mean is it really so much to ask?? Video gaming… that’s awesome! haha. What games do ya’ll like to play together? And how did I forget crafting?? I miss it!
I have no idea…..well I’m leaning towards “control thirst”, they need to make sure we are ready for orders even when we’re using the rest room. My favorite video game is Morrowind, elder scrolls. When my husband introduced this game to me, OMG it was a wrap. It took alot of time, effort and love for me to give up the controller for that game. Currently we are playing “The testament of Sherlock Holmes” and it is a good game, very challenging and interesting. Crafting is the best. What do you make? I try to make the kids clothes and typically holiday things. I live on pintrest (The DIY section).
Hi! My friend Sharisse and I wrote a children’s book together that focuses on the love between a mom and her child! We’d be thrilled if you would check it out! http://www.amazon.com/One-White-Balloon-Danielle-Hess-ebook/dp/B0141W6R1S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440109390&sr=8-1&keywords=one+white+balloon+by+danielle+hess
I’m not there yet but I’ve pinned this because I’m sure I’ll need it in a few years.
Haha, yes, come back to this and remember all of the positives to keep yourself from crying 😉
This will be me next year when Ollie starts school.
Almost there! haha. But I’m sure you’ll enjoy that last year, man it flew by!
Great list! It’s so ironic that most of the things you have on there I’m looking forward to as well – except we homeschool! How is that possible do you ask? Well, for #1, I run a part/seasonal full time photography business (in the thick of it right now) – so I get to work while they are home and I actually love it. I’m not a morning person either, that’s why I love that I don’t have to get up to drag them out of bed, I get my quiet me-time and work time in before they wake up on days when I need to get work done or don’t want to sleep in! The thing is, once the kids get a little older, they are a lot more independent (at least mine are because that’s what they know). Sometimes I give them something to do, sometimes my almost 7 year old chooses what she wants to learn that day (and 3.5 year old could do Legos all day). But as they get older there is a lot more parenting enjoyment with less whining. Surprisingly, I get plenty of #3 because homeschool moms have become my friends – our kids are off playing on their own and we can actually have a conversation! My public school mom friends are usually too busy dealing with non-stop busy schedule, work, kids homework, and school paperwork/bureaucracy to have any time to socialize and get together. I hope it will be different for you! 🙂
For #8, I haven’t watched TV in years and we have no cable, I lost interest in it as it always felt like a time suck. #9, my kids give the most amazing massages by walking on my back! Haha! Much more affordable than a masseuse, hehe. Road trips and quality time are an every day thing here, because we can decide when and what we do, no schedules hindering us. The thing that I WOULD love on your list is shopping alone – that’s not in my cards and organizing photos – being a photographer I can never ever find time for our own photos! 🙂
Love this Anastasia! This is good to know for when/if we decide to homeschool (we are praying/reevaluating the decision year-by year). Seriously, that’s amazing that you can go to the bathroom by yourself with homeschool kids! At this point it feels like that’ll never happen during the awake hours of my children’s’ existence. haha.
Hoping this year goes well for both of us! As I work up to her first day I’ve gotta keep laughing to keep from crying 😉
We’re may leave it up to the kids when they are older, but for now we’re homeschooling because we’ve worked so hard to set up work in such a way that we can homeschool, it’s been a ton of hard work. It just feels like public school would complicate everything so much!
One day you’ll be sitting on the toilet and be like “Wait, why aren’t the kids all over the door or staring at me?!” I’ve had a lot of moments lately now that they are almost 4 and almost 7, where I’m thinking “wait, what? When did they stop doing that?” or wondering how they picked up some sort of “grown up” behavior. It’s crazy how fast they change!
I’m sure she’ll have a blast, it will probably be much harder for you! 🙂
I’m so behind of #11. I take too many photos but I can’t help myself. They are all pieces of art until two months pass then I look back and go REALLY that’s a bad pic yet I can’t delete. Smh
#12 sounds like so much fun. I’m actually going to church in the morning then off to explore BY MYSELF
I have quite a bit of time before many of these but I guess it’s part of the mom journey. Lol
I was looking for someone else experiencing what I’m going through currently and you have hit the nail on the head with your blog.
I have 4 children aged 7, 5, 4 and almost 3. In September my third child starts school and my fourth starts preschool for 2.5 days a week. So for the first time in eight years I’ll have some day time to myself. Currently, as you’ll know, I get about an hour in the evening to call my own, when all is said and done, and I’m too worn out to do anything other than flop on the sofa. So I’m literally salivating at the thought of what September will bring in terms of time to do things I want to;
• Paint the kiddy printed walls
• lots of DIY and general upkeep of the house
• Sorting every single cupboard and drawer systematically
• go swimming alone
• do lots of exercise
• do my art work
• start to market myself as a house portrait painter
• get lots of admin done uninterrupted
• make up kids photo albums
• catalog all my kids artwork
• catch up with the girls without it being a play date
And lots more. I do still have a slightly guilty feeling about planning all this and knowing how much easier my life will be e in September when my partner will still be working full time. But I think ill manage to square it myself by the time it comes around. After all I do plan to bring in money if I can and anyway the house will hopefully be running that much more smoothly that his life will be made better too.
I cannot wait!!!! I know you wrote this a few years ago now so I hope life has worked out well for you with kids in school. I’m also, like you were, looking forward to enjoying my kids when I am with them, without feeling frustrated that I’m trying to get things done and they’re interrupting. I’ll have more time to spend dedicated to them!