friday five #2
Lil Momma and the Mr. are visiting family down south this week and I’ve been on my own with Bella, our dog. To be clear, they didn’t ditch me!! I’m just not walking fast or far enough for it not to be a drag or a liability on that type of vacation.
To be honest, LM and I were both a little shook - we’ve never been apart this long!! It’s one of those times I’m glad she has a way to text me and we got to talk each night about her adventures (which included dip dyeing the bottom 6 inches of her hair purple - an early birthday present!).
In honor of my week here at the house by myself, here are 5 random Friday thoughts about being alone:
One: I realized that I’m very rarely alone in a situation where I can just be. I’m alone in my car on my ride to work or driving back from dropping LM off somewhere, but this week was different because I could just exist in this space and be.
Two: Back when the Mr. traveled for work and LM was a baby on steroids who never slept, I always resorted to “secret solo behaviors” when he was gone and existed on cereal, frozen waffles, and chocolate chip cookies. This week, I ate actual meals (of the easy and pre-planned / prepared kind) which went a long way in keeping me on an even keel - although, I did buy 2 pieces of apple pie to make this week feel a bit more fun, haha!
Three: Another of my “secret solo behaviors”, which wasn’t so secret, was not being able to sleep when the Mr. wasn’t here. My anxiety would get the best of me and I’d scroll exhaustedly each night as my mood and health deteriorated. NOT THIS TIME!! I had these busy days with work and then I’d make my dinner and just read until bedtime. I truly think not getting stuck in the scroll made a huge different here.
Four: in the ongoing saga of my foot/ankle recovery, what got me good this week was the amount of stairs I had to go up and down to take Bella out. It’s something so simple, but I really didn’t consider how much extra elevation that would give me and the toll it would take. I’m still having some energy dips from my in office days, but I think the quiet nights did me good for that.
Five: One night earlier this week, I had breakfast for dinner. I went to make some toast in our toaster oven and it took TEN MINUTES to get the job done. I finish my eggs before it was even heated up. I was going to run out and try and find a replacement this morning when I had the thought that maybe we don’t need a toaster oven anymore? Our air fryer does what we had the toaster oven to do so maybe I would be better off buying an actual toaster? I wonder if that would do better or less longer. All that to say, I have not run out to find a replacement until I know what I actually need.
So, that was my week. LM and the Mr. are at the airport now, so I’m enjoying the last of my quiet before they get home this afternoon. I can’t wait to see them - but I hope I finish this book first!
Do you have a toaster or a toaster oven?
We have a toaster, not a toaster oven. Mostly because of the space a toaster oven would take. We have limited countertop space. My parents are seniors (obviously...why did I feel the need to clarify that???) and they use it to cook small amounts of food for the two of them and that works well since they don't have to heat up a big oven.
ReplyDeleteA whole week alone sounds both dreamy and a bit daunting. How to fill the time.
I never, ever sleep as well when my husband is away. I think I always feel like I'm on-call and have to sleep with one ear open in case the kids need me/there's an issue with the house.
Enjoy the time, though. It will be nice to recuperate a little differently with a change of pace outside working hours.
That sounds like a very exciting hairdo for LM!!!
You know what I'm going to say - I love my family and I love my alone time. And life gets so much easier when the kiddos get older.
ReplyDeleteI can weigh in on the toaster vs toaster oven debate. I had a toaster oven in my single days, and I used the oven for many other things so it never occurred to me to get a toaster. I seem to remember that the basic toast setting was 4 minutes long. Fast forward to me meeting the hubs and moving into a house with limited space so the toaster oven did not come with me. Making toast in a toaster is so fast! Just a minute if that. So since the air fryer can do anything the toaster oven can do, I vote to ditch the toaster oven and treat yourself to a toaster!
We have a toaster! It does a much better job of making toast than a toaster oven. We also have a microwave and an air fryer, and I don't miss the toaster oven at all.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter also has the bottom of her hair dyed purple right now!
I love alone time- sounds like you used yours well. It's also really nice to miss the family and be happy to see them return. Hope you finished your book!
Oooh twinsies! Today the guys get back from Scotland - I have been alone for two weeks, except for last weekend when Birchie was here! I have been sleeping fine except for a couple of days ago when I was woken up by the noisiest insects ever. They weren't crickets. I don't know what they were but I actually thought an alarm was going off in the house, then of course I couldn't get back to sleep. I definitely ate differently from where the guys were (Greek salad almost every night!) Back to cooking today I guess.
ReplyDeleteI have a toaster! And I love my toaster. I haven't seen the need for a toaster oven.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got to have lots of alone time this week! As someone who lives alone, this is my reality on the regular, but I do want everyone in partnerships to experience some time alone in their own homes. It's so good for us! <3 Your week alone sounds perfect!
We have two toasters (one that is gluten free and another one that has never really been used since we can't have gluten in the house because of cross-contamination, so we really should get rid of it) and they rarely get used. I don't know why I'd need a toaster oven since I have an actual oven that I can put on a very low temperature.
ReplyDeleteI sort of love it when my husband is away for a few days. I do a lot of baking, extra long walks with my dog, and reading until way too late. I am glad to hear you're taking advantage of your time alone!
Team toaster! Toaster ovens, as you noted, don't do anything really well. If you only need toast, go for the toaster. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you got some alone time, sorry for all the (oof) steps. And the reference to steroids makes me think that LM was a preemie? Or a kid with reactive airways? Whatever it was, I'm so sorry - kids on steroids just do. not. sleep. Ugh.