Freetime

This morning I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to drive out to Rosemont for my company's Annual Awards Celebration. It was rad. Aside from a slight issue with getting to the convention center on time ... and another altercation with some relentlessly clingy packing peanuts, the show went off without a hitch. We were finished by 12:30 and I think I was out the door by 1 ... and because La had dance class after school today, that meant I could do whatever I darn well pleased from 1:00 to 4:15.

Let's take a minute to reflect on that. Three hours and fifteen minutes of prime afternoon all to myself.

Whoa.

As a working single mother, there are certain things that I just don't ever have the time to do. Like go for manicures, get haircuts, go to the dentist (whoopsies!), work out at the gym (not that I would do that anyway), or go to the grocery store without my child. And here I was with hours upon hours of free time.

Feeling like the world was my oyster, I drove my Honda straight to the Mac Daddy of all grocery chains: Whole Foods. When I entered the store and breathed the smell of sweet freedom, I was overcome with the urge to purchase a glass of Cabernet at the bar and drink it while I shopped. But then I got distracted by something shiny and organic and forgot all about being a lush.

Thank goodness.

I even had time to unpack the groceries, park my car, straighten up my house, and eat lunch before I had to leave to get La from school. I could get used to this! ... If it weren't for that stinking job of mine ...

(Just kidding! I love my job! Please don't fire me!)

And then I got to walk home with this little twerp:

Or is she a squirt?

Or maybe a stinker?

Yes, let's go with stinker.

(I found these pics in my iPhoto tonight ... They're from July. I miss summer.)

On our walk home she begged to go to a restaurant, and I actually had a legitimate excuse this time: I didn't have my wallet with me. I told her we could pretend our house was a restaurant tonight. She retorted, "But our house is not a restaurant! We have no flowers on our table! We have no menus! WE HAVE NO MUSIC."

When we got home I drew up a menu, threw on some iTunes, and proved to La that dining at home can be just as nice as dining out. Then we played Jenga. I won. Twice.

If every day were like today ... well ... that would be just fine with me.