Camille started school yesterday and now the only thing anyone wants to ask me is, “What are you going to do with yourself all day?” Um, recharge? Recover from the last 16 years? Take a deep breath? I’m sure I’ll be able to manage somehow . . .
I didn’t think having her at school would make much of a difference in my sense of freedom because I’ve had the luxury of having help with Camille since we moved overseas and she’s easy to hang out with during the day, but yesterday I was shocked by how uncluttered my brain felt all day long. It was as if I had transferred the weight of responsibility I always carry over to someone else for a few hours and when she came home at the end of the day, I was refreshed, in tune, alert and actually interested in what she had to say. The benefit carried over to the boys too because they had things they wanted to tell me and I had the mental energy left to listen and care about what they were telling me. It’s like the constant buzz in my brain was silenced and the fog finally cleared.
I didn’t realize how much of a brain drain was happening each day — even on easy days, by being responsible for one small human. I figured because she was mostly potty trained and can be trusted with markers that I was already skating through life. What a pleasant surprise. Maybe I’ll get back some of those brain cells that have gone missing since 1999.
So what did I do? I read a book. I went to the grocery store. I baked. I made dinner. And when my kids got home I had real conversations with them instead of listening while multi-tasking in the back of my head.
I’ll get around to posting her first day of school photos soon. Right now I’m going to start another book.
The following Throwdown photos are ones I found on Instagram.
^^^ I’m beat
If they weren’t running with me, I’d probably be walking
Happy to be finished!