The Best Gift For A Young Mom

Before I reveal the best present for a young mom, I have a question. Please answer in the comment section below.

What constitutes a “young mom”?

Am I a young mom because I have young kids? If I were 22 with a baby, I’d be a super young mom. But what if I were 43 with a baby? Still in the young-mom category? Is it dependent on the child’s age or the mom’s age? How long do I get to be a “young mom”?

Please, enlighten me.

Now, onto the more exciting stuff.

In the pre-Christmas hubbub, different family members asked what I wanted for Christmas. As I thought about it, the perfect idea formed.

A night away.

Obviously, this isn’t a revolutionary idea, but it’s the first time I’ve asked for it.

I’ve never been one of those (young) moms who struggles too much with spending a night away from her children. In my opinion, if your baby is not exclusively breastfeeding, you have every right to let Grandma babysit overnight. Even if you are exclusively BFing, at least claim a day for yourself. And if your kiddo is more than a year old and you haven’t left the house by yourself…it’s time, sister friend.

OK, back to the gift.

As you’ve probably picked up on, I’m trying to write a novel. Besides domesticating small children, it’s the most time-consuming thing I’ve done. I write, then rewrite, then someone mentions a new idea, and I rewrite some more. I also spend some time pushing away the wave of overwhelmedness as I remind myself to just finish the story.

I try to squeeze in writing time after the kiddos hit the hay, but it’s easy to get distracted. So, for Christmas, I asked my husband for a night and a day to myself. And, behold! Christmas morning blessed me with lovely bath items, some candy, and a get-out-of-the-house-free weekend (also some earrings, but those don’t really fit my plot here).

Thankfully, my Floridian parents have rented an apartment for their regular South Carolina visits. So, I had a free place to camp out. I asked if I could cash in my gift this weekend, and my sweet husband agreed. I left fairly early on Saturday morning and spent 24 hours all. by. my. self.

Obviously, it was fantastic.

And, no, I don’t despise my husband or children. I’m actually quite fond of them. And, no, I don’t feel miserable in my daily stay-at-home life. But it was nice to do whatever I wanted for 24 hours. No one even asked me for a snack!

I packed my comfiest clothes, at least four books (I agree. It was overkill), a season of Downton Abbey, and my laptop. A quick grocery store run supplied me with the best pint of ice cream (Ben & Jerry’s “Everything But The…” flavor). This girl knows how to party hard.

Once I discovered an electric blanket stationed by the couch, I didn’t leave that spot for the entire afternoon. Honestly, the Downton Abbey gang probably occupied too much of my weekend, but it was really, really hard to care.

I did leave the apartment to get dinner with a fellow writing friend. After hours of writing on and off, I believe I talked her ear off about my ideas for this novel. I’ll have to repay her by not talking about my story, but only listening during our next dinner. (Sorry, Kate!)

So, that’s what a dreamy weekend looks like for me. TV, lounge-y clothes, a cozy spot, some tea, some books, some writing, and a morning filled with not-being-awoken-by-small-children-needing-breakfast.

What would you do for a weekend alone? Does mine sound terribly boring or perfectly delightful?

Currently Reading:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – As soon as I started listening to this book, I knew I’d be caps-locking you the first chance I had. So, here goes. Brace yourself…
HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK?!
Ahem. Let me explain.
I’m not the biggest fan of this WWII/Nazi infatuation the literary world has discovered in the past handful of years. It’s a dark, heart-wrenching time that needs to be remembered, but those books are hard to read for pleasure. However, let’s talk about Markus Zusak’s writing. His voice is unbelievable. I have no idea how he does it. He chose Death as his narrator. Not the Grim Reaper, as that made-up-by-humans imagery only makes Death laugh, though he does like the scythe. No, we’re talking about actual Death, the one who never sleeps, but grows weary because he’s always busy. Fascinating choice.

The story is about a young German girl, Liesel, who is given to foster parents. She quickly becomes “the book thief,” and learns to read from stolen books. Her world revolves around words, even as the Nazis attempt to control everything around her. I’m only three discs in (out of…nine?), so I’ll have to fill you in as soon as I finish. The foster mother does curse continually in German, so I can’t decide if it’s appropriate for my small children. At this point, I’m opting to listen while they’re in school.

For more Mama, subscribe and follow me!