Early Morning Target Runs

As of this moment, I’ve spent the last 4 years 3 months and 22 days at home on Mondays and Fridays with my now 4 year old son, and that doesn’t include my maternity leave. He’s only been going to daycare, school, camp – whatever you want to call it when they’re that small – 3 days a week because my work schedule has allowed me to stay home 2 days a week and I have loved every single bit of it. On Wednesday he starts Pre-K – that’s 5 days a week you guys – and to be honest I’m kind of a wreck over it. Am I crazy? I feel like I am. I know he’s not leaving on a jet plane to forever travel the world. He’s not going across country to college or anything like that. I mean he’s not even going to be riding the bus you guys. So yeah, I know I’m probably being a bit crazy, but what’s a girl to do with all these feels?

Mondays have been fun but Fridays have always been my favorite – for the obvious reason that they’re basically a kick-off to the weekend but also because of the way I’ve been able to savor every minute of them with Austin and we’ve been lucky enough to usually never be in much of a rush on those days.

For a long time our Fridays consisted of my husband meeting me in my workplace parking lot at 7:30 am, since that’s when I got off, and us doing the baby switch-a-roo. I’d take Austin to Target but since they didn’t open until 8 am we’d usually have to sit in the parking lot for a few minutes. I’d talk to him for those few minutes even though at that point he didn’t talk back. Man, those were the days. I kid. Kind of. By they way, guys, 8 am is THE time to go to Target … ain’t nobody there. We’d spend at least one eternity in the baby/toddler section, scouring the food aisle so I could buy him the latest and greatest snacks, cups, bottles, whatever caught my eye that day. Then we’d peruse the clearance clothing racks and because he had more than enough baby clothes before he even graced this earth, I’d usually buy about 3 sizes up. I mean if it’s a good price it’s a good price. Then I’d mosey on over to the ladies clothing section since the Lord knew I needed just one more kimono type shirt. Am I the only one who lives in those? Of course the home decor section had to be investigated too. And whatever else we might have needed got shoved into the overfilled cart. He’d spend most of this time, if not the entire time, wide-eyed but quiet. Either he was a good enough baby to give me the peace I needed while shopping or Target just really bored him. Either way, it worked. I’d pick up a spinach, egg white & feta wrap and a venti Pikes Place from Starbucks on our way out and by the time we got home, he was ready for a nap. He wasn’t much of a sleeper so I didn’t have a lot of time to myself, but even so I probably should have taken advantage and taken my own snooze but all my recorded Real Housewives shows were calling my name. I’d usually get an episode in before the giant awoke and play time ensued. Our Target trips and post-Target naps/TV viewing lasted a while. When he got old enough I’d pack snacks for him to eat while at Target, because we all know there’s never a “quick” Target run. Am I right? Those entirely too long Target trips were eventually replaced by park trips when he got old enough (a little better for the child I guess). Then my work schedule changed so there were no more 7:30 am parking lot baby switches going on. I actually had the entire Friday off so our days were even more lively with a good night’s sleep preceding them. It’s still our errand day (aka Target day), but it’s also become a day of breakfast dates, outdoor time, play dates, helping around the house, cooking and baking, and maybe a little TV watching on his end so I can catch a breath and check my Instagram, and Facebook too if I’m lucky. I never claimed to be perfect.

Even with my crazy work schedule we’ve had plenty of mommy-son time and the bond that’s formed is quite amazing in my opinion. This whole 5-day a week school thing is for the birds. I kid again. I realize it’s a bit dramatic to be acting the way I am over this, but I’m not kidding when I say there’s a tug at my heartstrings, okay a yank, when I think about it. My Mondays and Fridays are going to be strange for a bit to say the least. My friends claim “oh you’ll have so much free time now to devote to your millions of hobbies, it’ll be great” … but I just can’t quite see it that way yet. Soon hopefully. Maybe I’ll catch up on my sleep, or maybe I’ll catch up on my TV shows that have piled up over the years. Who knows? What I am pretty sure of though is that my “early-morning-Friday Target runs” are going to change to “after-Austin-gets-out-of-school-on-Friday Target runs”. It just wouldn’t be right without him.

Here’s to the approaching school year! Have a wonderful week 🙂