Friday, July 07, 2006


Friday's Wrap-up

Theme of the week: LAZY! It has been another great week at the Lake! I have been practicing LAZY! Don't get me wrong--there's still cooking, laundry and parenting--but there's a certain freedom in not buzzing around every second of every minute of every hour.....*you know the drill!*

I don't really like the word lazy--I prefer, "scheduled down-time!" I don't know if it's a mother thing or a gender issue; but like you, l-a-z-y doesn't fall within my definition of adulthood! However, after this week, I think I will elevate it to it's proper position! The tension in my lower back has disappeared! My shoulders have dropped to their rightful place, no longer touching my ear lobes! I no longer snap orders everytime someone enters the room I am in. I think my family likes l-a-z-y!

As a stay at home mom, I never seemed to schedule down time. In fact, like most SAHM's, I didn't even take a lunch break. That is until several years ago when I decided to eat lunch and take an hour, an entire hour, to sit and do something I wanted to do. It took practice--I was tempted to fold the clothes in the dryer the second the timer went off, I shook as I delayed cleaning the counter tops and loading the dishwasher when I noticed, while reading the newspaper, the left-over crusty breakfast cereal that had dried on the counter top. I anxiously read my book--having to re-read every other paragraph, because my mind was really on the list of things to be done before the end of the day arrived! Soon, however, with practice, I looked forward to my hour in the middle of the day-of scheduled down time. Every salaried employee looks forward to their lunch break--why can't SAHM's?

It's really not about being l-a-z-y; it's about effective time management. Prioritizing down time is a healthy thing! Alone time, even for mom's, is a very important thing; after all....when does a mom of preschoolers even go to the bathroom alone! While my 14 year old no longer joins me in the bathroom (yes, ladies, your preschoolers will one day think it gross that you even go to the bathroom!), I have discovered that we must practice these healthy attributes along the way. As our children grow up and we are left with.....are you ready for this......our self!

So, for today, and all my soon to be tomorrows, I will daily practice L-A-Z-Y! Maybe it's just the hot summer days of July, maybe it's just a mid-life weariness, maybe it's that I'm not at home and have been drawn into the pace of lake living! Whatever the cause, I am thrilled to pay tribute to the value of effective time management and the importance of down-time. Who am I kidding....let's applaud the lazy, hazy days of summer! Let's learn from them; let's join together and give ourselves a break! Take a deep breath; and treat yourself to a moment of lazy! What does that look like to you? Do you feel guilt about the possibility? Or do you already know what you will do? A long, luxurious, bubble bath? Maybe a short, uninterrupted nap? What does it look like to you when you think about down-time? Remember, there's only one rule for lazy: it must be about YOU!

I hope your weekend is full of great moments of family, fun, and fellowship--but reserve a few moments for LAZY!

11 comments:

Dawn said...

I'm glad you're having such a relaxing time and not even thinking about the computer. We're on the way to the family reunion and had a great trip with the kiddoes - they were wonderful. My husband and I had a relaxing evening and night of rest with a nephew and his wife and sweet little baby. I'm hoping this horrible cold leaves me soon. Otherwise, I'm going to do nothing bu recuop once we get to the lodge.

rena said...

Glad your're enjoying the lazy, hazy days of summer and relaxing by the lakeside. I'm envious! Good advise on taking down "me" time. We all need it...in fact, God insisted on it when He gave us Sabbath. Enjoy your rest.

Karla said...

Let's call it "relaxation." Or you can call it lazy, I don't care...I just want some of it!!! =)
It is very important to have down time, me time, etc. I can tell people that until I'm blue in the face, but now I have to figure out how to have it for myself.
Glad you're finding that much needed time that a woman needs.

C. H. Green said...

I am so looking forward to some down time week after next. Haven't decided where or what we're doing, but we're definitely due for a break.

Theresa said...

I t-o-t-a-l-l-y agree! And, I love your word choice "scheduled down-time" sounds and is much better than the "L" word we all so despise!

Tina said...

way to go! keep it up girl!

Brenda said...

My husband and I have gotten the L-word down to a T. Good for you for taking time out for yourself to relax and rejuvenate. So glad you're enjoying yourself!

Jan/lost-strayed-or-stolen.blogspot.com said...

That's what summer is all about. Having time to relax long enoughto re-evaluate, reassess, prioritize...time to *think* as well as to relax. Enjoy!

Lisa said...

Hi Diane--

I just got back from vacation up north where we have a RV year round near Lake Michigan. I needed rest & relaxation. I don't need much to get renewed, both body & spirt, but I did need this time.

My family & I spent time kayaking, bike-riding, fishing, boating and simply laying/lying on the beach, soaking up the sun...I have a tan!
I let go of my worries and let God's peace wash over me.

I spent time with family and forgot the housework, kept work at work, paid bills early and let go of other issues, if only for a week. It was very refreshing!

I went back to work today and handled problems much better. (even when my car wouldn't start this morning, I was calm.)

I'm glad you're taking time out to relax and renew your mind.

Enjoy The Journey, my blogger friend!

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