When I was a kid I used to have conversations with my mom like this:
Andrea “Mom, (insert friend’s name)’s mom is going to call you to see if I can spend the night”
Mom “What do you want me to say?”
Andrea “Absolutely not, tell them we are busy or I am too tired or whatever…”
Mom “Okay, no problem”
This would usually happen after I had spent time with my friend all day, and as kids do, someone was trying to extend the fun. However, I am an introvert, and having spent all day with someone, I generally need to go home and read a book under my covers with a flashlight. I have not outgrown this behavior, I just don’t have to use a flashlight anymore. I have to say – it was awesome to have a mom who would get me out of stuff because she knew what I needed. My sister Gina just told me that her daughter asked her to do the same thing, so this clearly runs in our family.
A couple of years ago my sister Erin came to visit with her kids and we had a great time. She hadn’t been here for a few years, so we had a lot of people that she needed to see and a lot of get togethers to attend. The minute one of us wanted to go home, though, she would just get up and say “We need to go, the baby needs a (nap/bath/whatever).” And everyone just bought it, no questions asked. It was fantastic – another upside to having kids.
I’ve been out every night for 11 nights so far and won’t get a night without plans until next Wednesday, and this is really not good for me. Even though it is a lot of fun stuff and all stuff I signed up for voluntarily, except the work stuff, I’ve over booked myself and I’m starting to feel the effects.
I desperately want to go home after work and sit in a bathtub and read Game of Thrones and eat a peanut butter sandwich and go to bed at 8:45.
I wish I could have my mom call the people I’m going out with tonight, or the people who are having the party I am going to tomorrow, or the work trip I have to take Sunday night, and just tell them that I’m busy or too tired or whatever. Because… I AM TOO TIRED. I wish I could beg out of all of them because my baby needs whatever, because I AM TOO TIRED.
But I can’t do any of those thing because I’m a (sometimes) functional adult that makes and then honors plans and hates to say no when someone is kind enough to actually invite me somewhere. I am someone who appreciatives her friends and family and I genuinely enjoy myself almost every time I do go out, but right now I am someone who just wants to slow the hell down.