If you had no kids and no dh for two days. . . .

[HeatherH]

WHAT would you do?

(Ok, other than print up all of your TOG work for next year)

Who wants to give me ideas? Dh & kids are gone, gone, gone!

Today's set - finish printing, tidy house for showing at 5, take myself out to run errands and have dinner, go to that women's prayer group I can never make it to -

How about tomorrow & Wednesday? give it your best shot, hive!

[True Blue]

Read, take a bath uninterrupted, watch a movie, go out to lunch with a friend, sleep in... anything you want to do. I love my time alone. Then when they come back I've missed them so much.

[iquilt]

My very first instinct is to quilt - I feel ashamed of my name since it's been so long since I actually did quilt anything! If I had the quiet house to myself I would read and watch Pride and Prejudice without anybody around to comment about it - I would drink my tea and read the paper on the couch without having to give a section to everyone - I would eat ice cream for dinner - and I'm sure I'd enjoy a nap at some point. Does that help?

[Sarah CB]

I think I would just sit quietly and enjoy the quiet. Maybe with a book. Or my favourite snack that I don't buy very often because I dislike having four kids repeatedly ask me for some. I'd leave the house and go have coffee; with a friend or maybe even by myself. I might walk around the mall for an hour and try things on without having to ask for the biggest change room so that all of my small boys can come in with me. Just for fun, I might turn on the TV in the middle of the day and see if any of the characters of my favourite soap from 15 years ago are still on.

I may have some of this kind of time coming up. The grandparents are taking 3/4 of the kids for a week at the end of July. I'm lobbying hard to get them to take the final kid (who turns 3 in October). He's fully potty trained now and I have a lovely 12 year old dd to help care for him. They're not so sure. And dh travels regularly so it may end up being a week alone...alone...alone. I *love* my family and feel privileged to spend each and every day with them, but some alone time once a year is something I also enjoy.

Enjoy yourself!

[Vicki]

I would clean, read, stay up way too late and sleep in, spend time on the computer, watch HGTV, and maybe go shopping.
God bless,
Vicki

[jmgconner]

I'd clean and organize the house. Browse the fabric and craft stores. Read in a bubble bath until I've shrivelled completely up.

[Nakia]

Oh, wow. That's hard. But I think I would sleep really late! Then read, watch HGTV and some chick flicks, surf the net. Probably do my nails. Sounds fun. How did you manage to get them out of the house?

[Carol in Cal.]

Then I would get up and get a cup of coffee and take it back to bed with me, along with a good fiction book.

When I felt darn good and ready I would get up and take a long shower, including all the hair products that I normally don't use, and also the body scrub that I normally don't take the time for.

Then I would make a list of all the major categories of my life:
Spiritual
Marriage
Motherhood
Church Member
Business
Homeschooler
Book group member
Women's group member
Hobbyist--knitting, weaving, etc.
Personal health
Good friend

Then I would read one of the "Artist's Way" books and sit and meditate on it and on my list. I would also pray.

Then my direction would come to me, in prioritized outline form, and I would write it down. I might have to wait a while for this. Often going for a walk in wild nature would help.

I find that when I try to force this overall planning and prioritization, it doesn't usually work because the tyranny of the urgent sets in. But when I just create the quiet and the mental space to let it happen, it usually comes to me.

[sdWTMer]

:party: Party!

No, actually, I would just :chillpill:, :chillpill:, and :chillpill: a little more. I really just think that I would just hang at home and enjoy the quiet! Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!

[Miss Peregrine]

Me. Ben. Jerry. Good book.

[paula j]

Wooo Hoooo! I'd live it up! First I would eat breakfast and drink coffee for at least 2 hours while on the computer.

I would take a leisurely bath with bubbles.

I would meet a friend for lunch for a long lunch with time to actually talk.

I would go to the bookstore and browse for as long as I wanted.

After dinner I would read my new book for as long as I wanted.

I would watch old stephen King movies and eat popcorn with m&ms and maybe even drink a Mikes.

[Pensguys]

My kids have gone to day camp with a local church and with dh at work I had the day to myself. (3 actually). I loaded up my mp3 player with podcasts (or you could do music), had a book, and my knitting and headed out for the closest Starbucks.....parked my tush in a cushy chair with my latte and had a BALL for at least 1/2 a day! ;)

I highly advice it!

[lynn]

Rent a movie or two that no one else wanted to watch. Get some sushi and cherry garcia ice cream or cheese cake just for me.

[Cadam]

I would get organized for the new school year and love love love the uninterrupted time to think and plan!

[muffinmom]

So I thought of all the errands that had been put off because the idea of doing them with the kids was too much to bear--and my mom and I set off to accomplish several of them. Some were necessary evils (got glasses fixed), some were fun (bought new sandals!) and in the meantime, my mom and I ate out every meal (with a few yummy snacks thrown in), so we felt very indulgent and productive at the same time.

Normally I'm a homebody, but I'd not been out of the house much for a month, so getting out was a treat of sorts.

Enjoy your time!

[Happy]

I did this last year. Four whole days!

I did an artistic/creative retreat without leaving home. I cleaned house at the beginning, bought some yummy food treats so I wouldn't have to cook or go out too much, and spent lots of time pretending I was at some exclusive writer's retreat. Very fun and productive.

It might be fun to plan a spiritual version, too.

[Mamagistra]

That sounds wonderful! I would spend a few hours relaxing with lots of coffee and something sweet just for me. I'd do some quiet housekeeping, lots of reading, and maybe some impromptu napping...

But the next day, I'd have a haircut, a pedicure, and an afternoon of me-shopping all. by. myself. ;)

[Crissy]

I would clean the house.

And it would *stay* clean.

[Mom2boys]

I would sleep in, read one of the books that's been on my "to read" pile for 6 months, treat myself to a meal at a favorite restaurant, and do some homeschool planning for fall.

How did you get your husband to take your kids out of the house for more than one day??? If I want more than one day away from the kids, I have to go to a homeschool convention. ;)

[Kate CA]

I would paint like crazy every room I could. :) With 80's music blaring in the background. Hehe. :)

[Chris in CA]

Catch up with girlfriends I never see, watch old movies, read a ton and miss them like crazy :001_smile:

[HeatherH]

I would clean the house.

And it would *stay* clean.


Amen, sister!

[HeatherH]

How did you get your husband to take your kids out of the house for more than one day??? If I want more than one day away from the kids, I have to go to a homeschool convention. ;)

Well, I have to answer this one. . . . .

My dh is working in Chattanooga, so he's gone anyways :sad:

My fabulous parents took the kids with them to Indiana - they've been trying to do this for 3 years now, it finally worked out this year.

I'm going to drive to Chatt. tomorrow afternoon, and then on Thursday we'll drive to IN to get the kids.

Yesterday wasn't too strange - but waking up this morning, with a quiet house????? Bizarre!

I miss them - but I'm RELISHING this time -

Thanks for all the great tips! I'm scheduling my spa appointment today!

[JFS in IL]

I might WANT to read books all day.....but I'd probably gut a room and repaint it. I like to DO things, and it is easier w/o people underfoot.

[DB in NJ]

In theory: Organize my closet, clean, get caught up with my reading, dedicate one entire day to prayer.

In reality: Stay in my jammies all day drinking iced coffee, playing here. Then on the LAST day, do a mad dash through the house to make it look like i actually did more than sit around in my jammies drinking coffee playing online.

:D

[HeatherH]

Off for the waxing and pedi/manicure!

Yee haw!:D

[happyWImom]

I would get my favorite junk foods, fav magazines, books, my pets and the phone and bring all to the bed and watch whatever I want, eat, read and nap ALL DAY LONG! I remember (vaguely) doing this during the final month of pregnancy with my dd and it was heaven! It would be even better if it was a rainy day. If I had another day that was nice, I would bring my book, mag, ice tea and snacks on the deck and sit there for hours enjoying the bird songs.

ENJOY!!!:thumbup:

[Michelle T]

They will be gone from July 3 til July 8. I plan on:

staying up late reading a stack of library books
getting up whenever I want to
staying in nightie as long as I want
buying too many books off Amazon
going to Popeyes chicken and enjoying it
working in my garden
watching the IEW DVD's
exercising with the Wii Fit
thinking/planning history and science schedules
and most importantly:

ENJOYING NOT HAVING ENDLESS POINTLESS QUESTIONS BEING ASKED OF ME ALL DAY LONG!
Michelle T