Day 6 - Precious Free Time

Ems here:

Do you all remember those days? The days before children, maybe even before husband or wife? The only responsibilities were work and bills. Maybe you spent most of your paycheck on eating out (yes, me) or cute clothes or mixed drinks...or all of the above. Maybe you never minded, not really, staying late hours at the job. Maybe the weekends were blank slates waiting to be filled.

Maybe you had so much free time that you didn't appreciate it and you took naps all the time and were frequently bored!

What is boredom these days, right? I mean some people (who aren't moms and dads) might see parenting as a virtually thankless vocation of tiresome repetition punctuated by frequent tantrums. Well, okay, that's kinda what it is. However, that leaves out the one small fact that the center of your universe shifts once that baby is put into your arms. Paychecks are spent on actual groceries, any clothes purchased are pint-sized, and the only mixed drink we're talking is powdered formula. And we wouldn't go back to the way things were, not for anything.

Perhaps being a parent somehow enables us to see the value of time. Looking at our oldest child and how much he has grown, we can appreciate the babe-in-arms and see that it is just a stage, that time is fleeting. We can also appreciate the few moments of precious free time that we get...usually only when the children are abed. Sigh. Relief. Replenish time. Because it is one hard job.

I don't think parents ever get "bored." There's always something to clean, at the very least. How we choose to spend our valuable free time says a lot about us and our mental state, as seen in this official study:* Please take the following short quiz to see where YOU stand:

*This study and questionnaire are fake and may have been made up by Ems for the purpose of this post.


1. You are at the grocery store and realize you are five dollars under budget! What will you spend it on?

A. Oreos. And Redbox.
B. Ooh! Ben and Jerry's has a new flavor!
C. Chips and salsa. Maybe dip. Maybe guacamole...yum.
D. Dishwasher detergent. The good stuff, in the little packets.


2.  Your spouse let's you choose a date night activity this Friday! What do you do?

A. Let's light candles on the coffee table and watch old episodes of Veronica Mars, honey!
B. Coffeehouse with a live band...sounds romantic!
C. Let's meet up with friends and go for drinks at that new place!
D. We have a gift card to Olive Garden...now's our chance!


3. Choose an outfit to change into on Saturday morning:

A. Um, why change from my footie pajamas?
B. Sweater, loose cords, flats
C. Skinny jeans, boots
D. Sweatshirt, jeans, sneakers


4. What does your living room look like at this very moment?

A. Toys. Laundry. Crumbs.
B. Crayons and paint and lots of glitter.
C. Some toys. Magazines. iPhone.
D. Couch. Rug. Tabletop. I can see surfaces.


5. Choose a movie to watch without kid or spouse:

A. Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2.  Hunger Games.
B. The Notebook or Steel Magnolias or The Vow
C. Tangled. When in Rome. The Avengers
D. Gone with the Wind. The Queen.


Simply count how many of each letter you chose and see what category you fall into!

A. Sally Spud: Netflix, spouse-cuddling, and sleep. You replenish through escapist fare and mentally "checking out" at the end of a hard day. Letting someone on TV live the drama is such a blessed relief.  Suggested hobbies: Word games; Learn a language; Light reading; blogging

B. Artsy Annie: You find your peace and passion in the creative. Beauty renews the soul! Find an outlet that allows you to express your uniqueness. Suggested hobbies: Watercolor painting; sewing; cake decorating.

C. Chatty Cathy: Renewal via social interaction is the name of your game. You are fun and outgoing and your hobbies need to reflect your energy. Suggested hobbies: Host game nights with friends; take cool classes at a local community college or online; read the classic novels.

D. Practical Prudence: You go, Momma! Your free time is spent is practical pursuits.  Cleaning and organization is second nature.  Suggested hobbies: scrapbooking; sewing or knitting; plan crafts for your kids (a la Pinterest)


Well, I hope that you enjoyed that important quiz.

Here is an app plug now. I have been learning Spanish via this cool iPhone app called Duolingo. It's fun and pretty simple and I'm learning a lot. 13 days in, and I can say things like: Las mujers beben una cerveza (The women drink a beer).




Also, I found this in my bag of spinach:

Yes, that's a grasshopper. Perhaps I prefer hidden additives to this organic stuff, because that's a bit extreme, man....


Easy Rule #21330: Maybe: Quizzes are fun?