As the girls are growing up, I've found myself with more time...sort of.
Looking at our family calendar, you would think that we are absolutely crazy, running around from place to place. That's true. We're busy, we have plenty of activities we're always heading off to, and we have very few "free" days.
However, as busy as this schedule is, it has a lot of down time in it for me.
I sit and wait in waiting rooms at dance and gymnastics and tennis, killing time during activities where I don't have time to leave, but it's too much time to just sit.
I sit and wait at appointments, the kind where you never know if you'll be called right in, or end up sitting for a while.
I sit and wait in my car at pick up times, when I did get to leave, but need to balance the right time to get back.
When Madison went to preschool, her pick up situation was interesting. All the cars pulled up and the teachers would keep the line moving, loading the first car, waiting for the next to pull up, loading that kid, and on and on down the line. From what I hear, this is actually a pretty common situation in pre- and elementary schools. It's tricky. To be first in line, getting your child right at dismissal, you have to be pretty early, which means you need to wait in your car for the kids to come out. If you get there on time, you end up at the end of the line...which means you need to wait in your car.
So basically, that pick up scenario assures you some time to kill.
It's really tempting to just spend those waiting minutes on my phone. But honestly, there are plenty of ways to kill time without needing to pull it out. From catching up on paperwork, to reading a magazine, to people watching, it can be time that feels relaxing and productive, instead of frustrating and battery sucking!
What's your favorite way to use those waiting times away from home?
