Lunch Breaks

Most everywhere you work you are given a lunch break.  Being salaried, I get a "break" of about an hour.  Sometimes I don't take the break at all; either because I'm too busy and forget/can't OR I skip it so that I can leave early to be with the kids.

Many days the lunch break is essential to survival as a working mom.  These breaks can be used for many things that doesn't necessarily include eating.  Here are a few things I've been known to do on my "lunch break":
-2 loads of laundry
-weed the garden
-clean up from dinner the night before
-run to the bank/post office/accountant/lawyer, etc...to take care of family business
-attend a business meeting
-shop to Christmas
-shop for birthdays
-shop for Halloween
-shop for _________
-pick up groceries
...and most recently...shampoo a room in our house...yeah I just did that today.

Some of the more fun things I have done on my "lunch break" include:
-get a massage (I've only done this once but I'm listing it first because it's my favorite and I really need to do it again)
-go for a run
-have lunch with the girls at school (definitely a favorite)
-have lunch with a friend
-get a haircut
-get a pedicure
-have "happy time" with husband :) (OK I take it back, THAT one is my favorite)

Working full time outside the home affords me a bit of flexibility in my life.  Where I'd be home and committed to the children 24/7 if I stayed home, I am otherwise able to do more during that ONE HOUR than I could ever accomplish with 3 children under my feet.  Granted, I can't do laundry while AT work, or run the vacuum while Liam is napping and the girls are at school.  I also can't get homework started right after school or prepare for the next day while the kids are still wide awake and not so grumpy.  The fun things I get to do on occasion contribute a large part to why I enjoy working outside the home.  It is really important to me to have the time to grow friendships and have time to myself; even if that time isn't ENTIRELY all my time.

The days I don't take a lunch break are some of the most rewarding.  Those days I can sometimes pick the girls up from school and go get ice cream before we have to pick Liam up.  Some of those days I can pick all the kids up and head to the park before time to start working on dinner.  Those are great days!

....now excuse me while I go book a massage for 11:30am tomorrow.