Four Day Weekend!!! That's what I have starting today. Not four days off from work, but four days off from my parental responsibilities. It doesn't come often, but when it does it's like a relief for my brain. I don't have to think about anyone else but me. How selfish does that sound! Really, how often do I get to be selfish? With a small child in the house, there's no privacy and no selfishness (for the parent, that is). When it's a one parent household (I try to avoid the phrase "single parent" - too much of a negative connotation) there isn't the sharing of responsibilities. I'm sure there are mothers in a two parent household who would argue that there isn't a sharing of responsibilities in their house either. But think about this thought. In the middle of the night, you want ice cream, need a gallon of milk, want to withdraw cash for the next day, decide to rent a movie. With two parents, you just go and do it. There's another parent at home to make sure the boogie man doesn't come for your child. With one parent, you either don't go (because your angel is fast asleep) or in the case you decide you need to run this errand before your child has gone to bed, you have to load the child up in the car and take them with you. Makes that "quick errand" take twice as long and not nearly as convenient.

For the next four evenings, I can do what I want, go where I want and have no parental obligations, no child to arrange babysitting for, no child to get dressed or find shoes for when I want to run out for a quick errand. I almost feel guilty putting this down in writing, but denying it would be a lie. I love my daughter and I love being her mother, but I enjoy the small breaks I get from that role from time to time, and the occasional exteded break is especially nice. Her paternal grandmother is in town, so I know she'll have a great time and will be spoiled rotten for the next several days. She won't even miss me. Between the shopping, and the buying, and the shopping, and (did I already say shopping?). That's what Mima does best. Madison has come to expect that from her every time.