How About a Weekend Off The Grid?

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Remember when you were young and carefree and you could just take a weekend off the grid? No social commitments, no parties, no nights out in bars or clubs. You could lay around in your pajamas, sleep in, take a nap, order in food and watch terrible television (Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica anyone? How about the original Trading Spaces? Yes please!).

I can even picture my little shabby chic studio apartment as I longingly type this. Geez that place was tiny. But as my first apartment without roommates, it represents a weekend to myself free of all obligations. I can barely recall how refreshing a weekend off the grid could be…I think that I’ve blocked it out due to Mommy Brain and self-preservation.

Weekends with children are a whole different ballgame. It seems that we have non-stop birthday parties, ice skating, soccer, school functions, Nature Center functions, community happenings, Cub Scout meetings…the list goes on and on. And this doesn’t even include things that the adults in the house want to do! I’d like to go for a run! Maybe the Farmer’s Market. Husband would like to go for a bike ride.

With shuttling around all of the tiny people, breaking up the sibling fights, cleaning up the messes, cleaning out the garage, feeding the hungry masses and attending all of our social commitments…there’s no weekend time left! 

October and November have been particularly exhausting. I am the first to celebrate with a happy dance when the fall season hits, but the fall festivities only make our jam packed calendar even more insane. I LOVE the fall, but I’m truly Harvest Festival’d and Pumpkin Patch’d out. Plus, I accidentally snuck in a weekend away with a girlfriend at the Gilmore Girls Fan Fest in October, which seriously complicated that weekend’s family activities…whoopsies! We also had an inordinate number of birthdays to celebrate in October (mine included, which is a pretty big deal in these parts). 

We are simply burnt out. The next few months are looking blissfully free of extra commitments, and I couldn’t be happier. Christmas is pretty much all we have on the calendar. The weather is finally growing colder here in Connecticut and I am ready for a warm blanket, a fire in the fireplace, a movie marathon and some red wine. 

I would love nothing more than a family weekend free of all commitments and household chores. We’ll wake up with nowhere to go (is that even possible?!). Everyone can lounge around in pajamas. Notice I don’t mention sleeping in…I might be hopeful for my relaxing weekend, but I’m not delusional, my toddlers will always be up with the sun. But maybe we’ll start our day with a movie! Who says that movies are only for the end of the day?

How about nice long relaxing bubble baths for the kids? Obviously we will have to get out for a little bit or the tiny natives will rip each others limbs off…but let’s keep it low key with a park or the library or lunch out with a walk downtown. Nothing intense like the aquarium, zoo, children’s museum or any other children’s-based attraction, that’s far too much social stimulation for my off the grid weekend. We will order in dinner and spend our time doing puzzles instead of making dinner and cleaning up the kitchen. This sounds amazing! Do you think I can really pull it off?

How would you spend your weekend off the grid?

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