Shut Down

My nothing days, are always accomplishing days. Like 'nothing' to me means, no where to go, no place to be, so the things I want to get down around the house, are set in focus and approached head on. Closets cleaned, fridge rearranged, storage pulled through, office organized, old clothes sorted.

So when I'm faced with a full weekend of nothing, my mind shifts to all that I want to do. Garage cleaned, pans sorted through, cold storage winter prepped, toy room filled with totes, labels, and organization, with the added bonus of full family participation.



There was family participation all right, but I kept it from being full. Apparently, by body interprets a 'nothing' weekend, as a 'shut down' weekend… and shut down is what I did. Nate puttered around, taking care of the yard stuff that nagged him, he cleaned the garage to be a more efficient area of the house, the kids cleaned their room, because I withheld video games until they did, and I took my un-showered self, outside, in sweats, a bandana, hoodie, comfy socks, and little will, to lay on the grass, while Joey and Calvin pretended I was a sleeping dragon, who randomly twitched limbs to satisfy prodding knights. This was my participation to the family.



After a real nap, I rallied, enough to shower and dress the kids so we could attempt some family pictures. I'd be lying if I wasn't disheartened with the end result. Out of 520-some pictures taken, by a friend who was willing to put up with me, running back and forth to change setting's at the sun's slightest shift, maybe 4, were worthy writing home about. Being the one who's always behind the camera, I might have put too much hope, that things would go smoothly, so that for the first time we could have a formal family pictures, that was taken somewhere other than, as a last minute thought, beside a packed and ready to go van, at the end of a beach vacation. I'm trying to work myself out of the grumpiness that's settled, from what little effort was put into making it more successful. But we got a handful of good ones, so I'm focusing on the happiness of that.



Today, Nate's back to work for the day, and I'm trying to start up this weekend's shut down. We're leaving for Philidaphia on Thursday and I have that pit of guilt in my stomach from spending a whole day's time, wasted. I'm making up for lost time, we've got the laundry on the line, attempts to refill the bean bag made (which I plan to plant a few extra trees next spring to make it up to Mother Nature), lunch eaten, work notes made, shoes sorted, pictures backed up, and prep work for tonight's football game under our belt… and I've showered. I've got a bunch of recipes stocked up and ready to share, but the verdict is still out, on whether they are worth sharing or not, until I've subjected our friends, to them tonight.



Until then, Go Pats!