November 21st - Playing Hooky

I love playing hooky.

The first thing I think about when I think of playing hooky

is Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 

My days of ditching have never been that extravagant. 

I ditched classes in high school to do homework...

pretty lame, right?

I ditched classes in college because I didn't like the class, 

not for any particular reason.

And in order to play hooky now I have to schedule it like two weeks in advance. 

I need babysitters, and schedules to line up, and a good book or two.

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Today let's meditate with our calendars open.

How does your week look?

Which day could you take off without your world grinding to a halt because you're temporarily unavailable to keep it spinning? 

Good.

Now write it in, "mental health day." ...

Don't feel guilty about calling in sick; 

this is preventative action.

Sometimes I wish I were a physician specializing in women's medicine. I would surprise each one of my patients annually with a  written prescription to play hooky for a day. 

I would convince them that hooky is absolutely necessary 

for their good health: physical and psychological.  

Then I would give them an official note excusing them from real life.

I think the crucial reason it's so difficult to be a grown-up is that 

there's no one to write a note for us excusing us from the job, 

the marriage, caring for Mom, and driving the car pool. 

Don't worry. I'll write your note... 

Playing hooky is not the same as "sitting one out."

When - because you simply can't stand it anymore -

you sit one out by taking a sick day or a vacation day, 

you don't have the creative energy for "hookiness." 

When we play hooky, the operative word here is "play"

and no one's to know it but your authentic self.

(Or a good friend who's playing hooky with you.)

Send your husband off to work, call in and say you'll see whomever tomorrow, take the kids to day care. If you're at home, call a sitter or arrange with another mother to exchange hooky days.

Now you have approximately eight hours to call your own.

Do whatever seems most frivolous, most totally self-indulgent...

Get a European body wrap, a pedicure, a cosmetic makeover, or a facial. Treat yourself to an aromatherapy massage. Pretend you're a tourist and take in the local attractions. Go to the movies...Read a fabulous novel in one sitting with a small box of Godiva chocolates in your lap. Don't answer the phone.

Only do what you want to do, not what needs to be done.

Pick up the kids and your favorite carryout food.

When your day is over, 

all you've accomplished is caring for your soul.

Luxuriate in your idleness....

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For those of us who always have too much to do 

and have too little time to do it,

taking care of yourself should be one of those things that doesn't get overlooked. 

I guess I never really played hooky afterall.

I can't remember the last time I spent an entire day doing only what I wanted to do. Sure, an hour here or there, maybe a couple of hours, but not a whole day. Sometime in the day I do something that has to get done.

I'll have to spend a day, and let you know how it goes.

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Gratitude Journal

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1) Getting all the laundry done. For the first time in like ever, I only have one basket to fold and one basket that needs some stain treating, and it's all in the laundry room. Yes!

2) The office. Dwight is amazing. And it's so nice to do things that suck, like laundry and ironing, when you have something awesome to watch/listen to.

3) Getting all three kids to nap at the same time. Jacob doesn't nap anymore, so the fact that he passed out while I was reading to him was pretty impressive. Of course Chase woke up after like an hour, but still. 

4) Reading The Chronicles of Narnia to Jacob to get him to sleep. He'll sit straight up when he catches a phrase that sounds interesting. "Jolley rotten" was yesterday. Today he told me it wasn't nice of Digory to hurt Polly. Yep. I'm super excited to be having these conversations with him.

5) The kids are still sick. Lots and lots of boogers, and coughing, and crying because they feel like crap...but they're feeling a little better....just a little bit.