The Mommy Hour

The Witching Hour is a term that was once used to describe the hours when black magic was at its best. It was later used to describe the time between midnight and three a.m.  I now believe these hourse to be  ' The Mommy Hour'.  Nothing supernatural here.

The Mommy Hour is the often the time between 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (give or take a few hours). After tucking the kids, and often the husband, in bed, this time is used solely for the mommy.  In fact, I write to you now in The Mommy Hour. The day belongs to everyone else. You  divide your time between work, home and family. Although there are periods throughout the day where a mommy gets time to herself, I don't think it's truly until this time where a mommy is most effective.

In the last half hour alone, I have been able to do more things than I could have done the entire day. I organized the kitchen, put away the toys scattered throughout the house especially the living room, grabbed myself a cranberry juice and pitched up a tent in my living room. No really, I did. (It was the cutest igloo/tent in the Kid's Dept. at Ikea. Room or no room, I had to buy it. Plus it was only $9.99) Now after the tent-pitching, it's mommy time.

During this time, I usually get a call or two from friends on my cell or an email, so not to wake up the rest of my household  (although my husband is usually up having his Daddy Hour too.) We don't make small talk, we just stick to the facts and plan play dates for the week.  The call is short and sweet, so that we can each get back to our own "mommy time."   (Now if I can just fall asleep at a decent hour, so I can actually stay awake at these play dates, that's another story.)

I'm starting to realize that I might just be nocturnal and that sunlight actually hurts my eyes. The only problem is that I have to be up at the crack of dawn when little man gets up, because although he heads straight to the TV, turns it on and props his favorite DVD in the player, he still has a hard time frying eggs on his own. (We're still working on this one, so that mommy can sleep in. Is two too young to be frying eggs?)

According to my friends, The Mommy Hour is mandatory for the sake of the family. If mommy doesn't have time to wind down, then there's no telling what will happen to her family the next day or if breakfast will even be served. This unwinding time also includes: cleaning up, preparing kids lunches, paying bills, returning emails, opening snail mail, and folding laundry among other things. I like to focus on the other things: just sitting and staring at the walls (which I can't do--I always need to be doing something and wall-watching doesn't work for me), painting my nails (because who has time for a manicure, unless someone is getting married), taking a shower or bath (because, yes, some days we go un-showered.)  Most of my freelance friends or On-The-Go moms (aka Stay at Home Moms) use this time to work, paint, write, create (whatever word you want to use). This is when I finally write without interruption, except for the occasional moments that I begin to drift of, other than that, I am good. I really value this time. I, as I am sure many moms, do.

So, after all the other hours of the day; the working hours, family hours, errand hours, avoidance of household chores and inlaws hours etc...it is good to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and time for the Mommy Hour. Now if I could just stay awake long enough to enjoy it.