Happy Happy JOY JOY

I am alone in my house.
I have been alone since 3pm and I am just waiting for the phone to ring and tell me it is about to end.
Drat.
The grandparents surprised the girls and took them to Carolyn's punpkin patch this afternoon and gave me the choice to go along or to stay home by myself.
Alone.
Believe it or not, it was a tough decision. Since I"ve started working M-F, I take my time with the girls very seriously.....or should I say, I take the quality of our time together very seriously. As in, lots of laughing, loving and FUN. I've been a single parent this weekend, and I know kids need a break from parents just as much as we need a break from them. So I beat myself up for about 1 minute and then chose to have them go without me.
My list of things I want to do is about 27 items long. The reality of what I did is embarassing. I spent probably 10 minutes just trying to decide what to do first! I started out trying to go to Hallmark(I only get to go about twice a year these days) but was disappointed to find out they had closed early. Next I went to the dollar store to pick up some masking tape.......$20 and 30 lost minutes later, I had masking tape and some other odds and ends that called to me from the store shelves.
AAHHHH look at how fast the time is going, I thought to myself as I headed back home and switched another load of laundry. How boring. Next I putzed around the house doing nothing focused, just random stuff, and thought, Good Grief Sarah, you could be doing this with the girls here!
When it came time to fix something to eat, I realized I could eat what ever I wanted.....no one else to care about or cook for. Rejoice! Taco salad and beer, yes please!
Now I am sitting on my new deck furniture, in my Sluggie(yes, I got a Royals snuggie from the game yesterday without even going!) and typing this post. Any minute now the girls will be back and our Sunday night groove will be back in full swing. I do kinda miss the girls. Actually, I have been thinking about them in some fashion pretty much since they left. Wondering what they are doing, if they are having fun, if they are being good and thankful like I reminded them to be before they left. I've even been surfing the internet for Christmas ideas for them. It may be October but this girl is ready for some Christmas shopping!
So when they are here, I wish for time alone. Now that I am alone, I am spending it thinking (and writing) about them.
Time alone is wonderful.
Time with my girls after I've been alone is going to be even better.
Thank you Loren and Linda for this gift of time by myself.
But next time could you give me more notice, so I will have my list of "want to dos" already prioritized?!?!