Finally the answer to the question man has been longing for since the beginning of time! What does a mom do with all her free time once her kids are in school?
This post is dedicated to all those dear souls, who since the beginning of time have so desperately wondered just what it is that moms do once all their kids are in school. I suppose we have managed to keep up the charade long enough, it is time to reveal the wizard, so-to-speak. I am officially pulling back the curtain and exposing one of the deepest secrets of all time. I am almost certain this post will permanently ban me from any future meetings of the, Private Moms’ Society, better known as PMS, but y’all are worth it. You deserve to know the truth!!
The following is a true story, a story about a Mid-West mother who embarks on one of the hugest milestones of motherhood yet, the dropping off of all her children at school, even the youngest. Just what is it that she will be doing all day? Here is her story in her own words, we beginning in the dining room of her West Toledo home where breakfast is underway.
This morning my momma heart was firing off a multitude of emotions; excitement, apprehension, joy, sadness, etc. I needed to calm my emotions and re-center my heart so I could be a sounding board for my Kindergartener on her first day of school. And there is nothing on this earth that can calm this momma’s heart faster than my Holy Mother. So, in order to calm everyone’s nerves we said a few Hail Mary(s) over our waffles. We prayed that God send down his angels to watch over everyone today and then I packed up my heart and soul and drove it over to school.
“Making the decision to have a child – it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ” Elizabeth Stone
As I walked my youngest into her Kindergarten classroom I could feel the lump forming in the back of my throat. Then my allergies must have flared up because my nose started running. As I looked down at my Kindergartener my eyes went blurry and my vision was officially obscured because all I could see was a newborn, how am I supposed to drop her off? My epidural hasn’t even worn off yet?
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss
As I made that long lonely journey back to the car my heart took an unexpected detour. I wiped away the tears and smiled. I came to the realization that I should not be sad because a chapter has ended but happy because it happened. How blessed I am to have had the opportunity to first of all, have children, and secondly, healthy children, and to have been able to stay at home with them, I decided right then and there that I shall count my blessings.
“Every positive thing in your life represents a single unique blessing. Every negative thing in your life has the opportunity to become a double blessing. For when you turn a negative into a positive, you gain twice. You are no longer burdened with the negative situation, and in addition to that you are strengthened by a new positive force”. Ralph Marston
Refreshed with a new take on this glorious day I celebrated this new chapter by doing something I haven’t done in ages, I tuned the radio WAY up and sang at the top of my lungs. The only thing bigger than my voice was my smile, I had been focusing so long on having to say goodbye to the past that I forgot to welcome and rejoice in the future.
“The future starts today, not tomorrow”. Pope John Paul II
Once home I did something I haven’t done in 11 years, I worked out with NO interruptions! Turns out you can work up quite a sweat when you complete the entire session. I might actually get fit and toned this year, MIGHT! 😉
Then, while still feeling the effects of those natural endorphins, (I was seriously on cloud nine, and ready to conquer the world) I decided to make a list of all the things I would accomplish this school year, I made my 2016-2017 School Year Resolutions! (I will be addressing this more in next week’s post). And then I spent a couple hours working…writing some articles, catching up on potential projects, etc.
After that I started to feel a bit light headed. Turned out it was past lunch time, weird, without a little one to tell me their tummy was hungry I totally didn’t realize mine was, lol!
Lunch; let me tell you, I forgot what it felt like to actually taste, chew, and finish a meal without getting up. I felt like a Queen! Lol!
After lunch I decided to channel my inner Martha and baked some cookies for the kiddos to have as an after school snack.
“Now that the children are in school I can finally be the mom I have always longed to be…I have more patience, I can recollect words and complete entire thoughts, I bake, and my house is clean, why I am just a modern day June Cleaver, lol!” -Kat-
I have to be honest, those 6 hours kind off passed quickly once I had a new outlook on this Chapter in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I did miss hearing the giggles coming from the other room, the multitude of princess wardrobe changes throughout the day, and the random snuggles. But my head has almost entirely come to terms with this new chapter, now my heart is a different story, it is going to need much more time to get used to this transition.
Need a gift for that kid’s birthday party that starts in two hours? Disney Store to the rescue! 
Did your child’s sandal just literally break while walking through the mall (true story)? The solution is a piggyback ride to Payless! Entering the 2nd trimester and your pants are getting snug? Destination Maternity has you covered momma! And you might want to stop off at Godiva Chocolatier to curb those cravings. Did your child decide to reclaim the coin they just threw in the fountain? Bath & Body Works has Hand Sanitizers to attack those germs! 
Looking to ramp up your culinary skills? William Sonoma offers classes and everything you need to make your kitchen into a chef’s dream come true! And there are SO many more stores, 
Whether you are meeting up with other mommas, dinning with the kiddos, looking for a quick bite, or want to linger a bit longer with friends Franklin Park Mall food court and restaurants have you covered! 
We opted to celebrate the occasion of back-to-school shopping with lunch at Bravo! 
(I am a fan of their kids’ menu; they have the usual suspects like chicken fingers and pizza but also offer healthier options too….and for me it just doesn’t get any better than their salmon salad!!)
Franklin Park Mall now offers a Mall-wide rewards program called, Oh, So Simple Rewards. And like it says, it is oh, so simple, to register. You simply enter an email at a sign-up kiosk, swipe the credit card or debit card that you will be using to make purchases, shop, dine, see a movie, etc. Then for every $250 spent on that card $10 gets put back automatically on your card! Winning!
(And it adds up fast….just think, a date night, dinner, movie, movie with the kids, kid’s birthday party at Build a Bear, back-to-school shopping, shoes, shoes, & more shoes!! Means money back on your card ;))
And as a mom with 3 kiddos there is nothing more annoying than having to put on ALL the winter stuff, mittens, scarves, hats, and coats to leave a store just to have them take it all off when they enter the next store…rinse and repeat!! FYI, if you are looking for a cute umbrella JCPenney had these adorable gems.
The family lounge has tactile boards to engage preschoolers and toddlers while mom tends to the baby. Curtains are even available for those moms who wish to be more modest, otherwise there is a comfortable sofa and television.
I was shocked how fast my son tried on a shirt once I said he could have a gumball afterward. Mind you, I forgot to clarify that he had to take off the shirt he had on first, lol! 
And the Fountain is also another great incentive and the best part; the donations go to the conservation projects at the zoo!
We had to get the little lady a Toledo Rockets Shirt (while on vacation each kiddos was allowed to pick out a shirt but she wanted her shirts to say Toledo, not Grand Haven, lol!).
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 