another friday

And another morning down the drain.

I have this problem.

On Friday mornings I send Savannah off to school and drop Sawyer off at his once weekly Mom's Day Out program. I have approximately 2.5 hrs after that completely to myself, to do with what I like (or have to do in most cases considering I like to take advantage of childless time for certain errands, phone calls, big cleaning chores) before Savannah comes home at noon.

I'm fine if I make myself go straight home after dropping off Sawyer.
The problem is when I have errands to run or just "make a quick stop" at a store. Whenever I do that I never seem to make it home before I have to to meet Savannah off the bus. I get lost in this vortex of childlessness and I lose all track of time.
If I have one return to make at Target? I'd better pick up x while I'm there... and two hours later I might make it back to the car.
It's just that I'm so seldom alone... I can peruse the aisles in peace! I can try things on! I can stand next to the shelf and be indecisive for more than two seconds and not have someone whining at me can we go home yet?! I don't have little people talking to me, begging me for things, fighting with each other.
And of course while I'm at Target, I should take advantage of the ease of "running in and out" by myself and run into Michael's next door. And Kohl's is next door to that. And before I know it I look at the time and I'm racing to beat the bus home.

It's not even like I'm shopping up a storm... I barely buy anything! I'll spend an hour in the store and still only come out with the two things I went in for.

Heck, even my grocery shopping takes twice as long when I'm by myself.
When I have my kids with me I am get-in-and-get-out, multi-tasking, go go go! And when I have time to do things on my own, it's like I get lost in that freedom... I get sidetracked and distracted and it's like I almost don't have any focus because there is nothing else demanding my attention at the moment! I wander around stores in circles just amazed at being able to take my time and having my brain all to myself!!

Sad, aren't I.

So this morning I had every intention of coming straight home after dropping Sawyer off.
Except I needed to drop off some stuff at the Goodwill. And of course then I should at least glance in the store, since you never know what good deals you might find ($10 bought me a brand new pair of TCP pants and black dress shoes for SJ and a mirror that will be gorgeous with it's ornate frame spray painted black). So there's one hour of my time gone. As I'm driving by Target I think I really should stop in and grab the stickers I signed up to bring to Sawyer's Valentine party and get that out of the way. And now over another hour later, I'm finally home.

Now Savannah will be home any minute, and then I'll have just two more hours to get this house whipped into shape before I have to go grab Sawyer.
I hate how fast my Fridays get away from me....