By Amy S.
Post holiday blahs, I call it. The mid-winter darkness and cold begins to drag in January and February. At my house, January also means tax season looms over us. My husband is an accountant, thus our lives do strangely revolve around tax season. During tax season my husband works long hours and we experience a ramped-up version of the usual two-parents-working schedule. Many families keep such exhausting schedules year round and the pace certainly makes me grateful for the time we have together the rest of the year.
January is the sleepiest month for me too; I'm always exhausted. Driving home in the dark doesn't help. Maybe it's just the holidays catching up, or putting away all the Christmas boxes.
Last week, I was feeling particularly rushed at work and "blah" in all other aspects of life. Outside, it also happened to be one of the mid-winter spring days we often get here in southeastern Virginia. The sun was warm and inviting, making it tough to walk into a three-hour meeting.
I got out of my last meeting around 4:30 and made an executive decision to skip the last 30 minutes of the day. I couldn't wait to spend time outside with Olivia.
It was our own mini Spring Break. We went to a friend's house and Olivia and my friend's two oldest girls -- one clad in her leotard and tutu -- ran in delighted circles through the yard. My friend and I chatted on a level impossible to do at the end of the day when our children have been cooped up inside and have energy and noise to burn.
On our drive back home, Olivia happily chatted in the backseat. Though I couldn't understand all of it, I know she was reminiscing fondly about her fun afternoon with the girls. In the front seat, I enjoyed the break from our cranky drives home in the dark. It wasn't much more than an hour, but that mini Spring Break made all the difference for both of us.
It was beautiful outside again today but tomorrow will bring rain and cold weather again. I'm looking forward to the next warm day.
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