Fifteen minutes of tame

Before I had children, I could spend a lot of time doing absolutely nothing to better our world. It wasn't unusual to find me on a futon, watching numerous episodes of "Sex and the City." Or going to IKEA and Target to buy colorful things I didn't really need. Or in a bar with a martini that matched my outfit. Or at a game with beer and nachos. Or on an uninterrupted phone call that lasted longer than 10 minutes. Or in a bubble bath by candlelight. Or on a long walk in one of Pittsburgh's neighborhoods. Or on a date in a quaint, BYOB Italian restaurant.

Now? I'd just like to go to the bathroom in peace.

Something about me urinating inspires the people I love most to begin an inquisition. And it's never a series of simple questions. It's always something like, "If we race for the cure, does it mean we'll never get cancer?" Welcome to life with a precocious 5 year old.

It's so hard for us to find time for ourselves, ladies. Some days, we long for those quiet days and secretly wonder what it would be like to have them back for just a few hours. But I promise you we traded up. Once you go baby, you never go back.

We could all use a vacation. We could all use a spa. We could all use a maid. We could all use a FREE maid. We could all use a few more dollars. We all want a few less pounds. We all wish for a few more hours at the end of the day.

It might be a while before we get any of that, but until then I suggest you try my "15 minutes of tame." When things get really hectic, I enforce the Woodall family's 15 minutes of tame. Everyone brings it down a notch. We get quiet. We get books. We get naps. We get food. We get a DVRd show. We get whatever we need. And the best part is--sometimes it lasts longer than 15 minutes.

There are also Selfish Sundays. Other than the built-in family things like church and visiting grandmas, the Woodalls like to keep Sundays open for themselves. Larry usually plays hockey. The kids usually choose the park. And Mom usually opts for a good book, TV dramas and a glass of red. And it's wonderful. Regardless of how busy the rest of the week is, we know that we will have our Sunday--which occasionally involves a sundae.

We all have different schedules and lives, but we've all gotta find that "me" time so we always have something to give to those we love. It's a challenge, but we deserve those minutes and hours to ourselves. It leads to a happy mom, which leads to a happy family. And what's better than a happy family?