That’s just what he did. My coupon said that on the day of my choosing, he would take the children somewhere for an all-day adventure, and I would have the house to myself. I wouldn’t have to clean a thing – just enjoy the day.

I cashed in my coupon this past Saturday, and they headed out the door around 9:00 am. They were going to go to a few yard sales and then downtown to wander around and visit the library. If he ran out of things to do, he said, he’d take them to visit his mother until it was time to come home.

My dream day off wasn’t one of shopping or taking naps – I was craving uninterrupted time to finish up some projects I had started long ago. I was so excited and looking forward to the free time. After all, it’s often hard to find uninterrupted time even in the bathroom when your children are home with you all day.

It didn’t turn out quite how I expected, however. Of my long list of projects, I only completed two. I did wash a couple of loads of laundry just to feel as if I accomplished more, but I didn’t even get them folded. As it turns out, I think I needed a whole week off to get my projects finished up.

Now, though, I’m not longing for a big block of quiet time like I was before. I’m quite content with my fifteen minutes here, thirty minutes there, maybe even an hour of semi-quiet time while the children are engaged in their own activities. At least that way I don’t feel discouraged that more isn’t accomplished. And maybe next time…hmmm…maybe I’ll ask for the whole weekend.