Day 166: Sometimes you have to break your own rules

12/5/2011

After being kinda down this past week and having everyone feeling a little sick today, I decided to break my mommy rules. Instead of coming home and cleaning the house and reading with the kids, I decided to have a hot chocolate and snack mix party with the kids. We went to the PX after school to get some cold medicine for all of us and I decided to get all the items needed to make a great snack mix. I also got the kids some chicken nuggets for a snack at the PX (again something I NEVER do, but I knew it was more of an early dinner) as we walked around getting everything we needed. The kids knew I was going to make them hot chocolate but didn't know about my other treat. So, we came home and I made their drinks and started popping popcorn. They thought we were doing a movie night. I just kept quiet. Then, after the popcorn was done I added M&Ms, pretzel sticks, peanuts, and gummy worms to the popcorn in a bowl and mixed. The kids went crazy! They thought it was the best thing ever! So we sat down as a family and watched some TV, ate our snack mix, drank our hot chocolate, and talked. It was so relaxing for all of us. Also, for dinner, the kids ended up not being to hungry (big surprise there) so I made them all peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

I have realized that with all the stress I have been under, the kids are feeling a bit left out because I am either tired, sick, or trying to clean the house up. So, I decided that for one night, I would let the house stay the way it was and spend time with my kids.... The whole night. I didn't get on the phone or computer the whole time they were up. Well, until Ian called, but that was more for him to talk to the kids. It was the cherry on top of our nice night together. Rules are good, but they are meant to be bent just a little bit every once in a while. It is important to know when they need to be bent in order to have a little bit of harmless fun. I can honestly say that, even though my kids may not have gotten the most balanced meal of their lives, they had a great night with their mother and siblings at home. It is something I might have to do every month or two, just to give my kids some timeout from the normal, everyday stuff we deal with around here.

Another day is done, another day that I am closer to seeing him. They days are ticking by.