A few days without the boys

As Oliver approaches his big milestone (three years around the sun) I realize that it's been exactly that long that 99% of my waking (and resting) hours have been devoted to him. Feeding him, teaching him, clothing him, chasing him, cleaning up after him, and of course laughing at his jokes. I don't mean to complain: it's the joy of my life to spend time with him, but let's just say a week ago when Cal offered to take Ollie up to the cottage 2.5 days earlier than our scheduled weekend and leave me home with only Dakota to take for, I agreed! A little down time will make me a more refreshed mama, right?

At first I wondered what I could possibly get up to, but here's a taste. 

- fold and put away the laundry (a mere 4 pieces are mine)

- make 3 batches of chewy lemon cookies (then eat two with a cup of coffee)

- shovel rice in Dakota's happy mouth while I eat soup

- watch a documentary ... on the Duggars 

- collect all the garbage and recycling in the house 

- organize my overflowing collection of guitar tabs into one notebook 

- play guitar to Dakota 

- a looooong bath

- braid my hair

- walk outside to check the weather to decide what to wear, end up in the garden of course

- make paper invites for Ollie's party to give to neighbour kids 

- deliver them, walk to the mall (with Dakota wrapped in the moby) to pick up a few things - an unsweetened iced tea ends up being one of them, sadly a billion-pound box of diaper wipes does too and my back aches (eff you enticing bulk discounts) 

- wash and put away dishes

- phone call with Cal, Ollie also adds: "guess what mommy? I'm at the cottage!"

- almost finish packing cottage bag for us girls 

- weeded the front garden

- read the majority of an AJ Jacobs book

- re-watched Wanderlust (but mostly just smiled at Dakota)

- leisurely made spinach and feta quesadillas 

- tickled Dakota for around 2 hours straight

- met a friend for Starbucks 

- packed a lunch for our exchange student 

Oh, and that was only in 12 hours. 

Mama needs her breaks.