Extroverts Need Alone Time Too

I tend to get mine late at night, after everyone else goes to bed.

But what the introverts in my life don't seem to grok is that I need it.

Just as much as they do, but not quite as often.

And I can't really do the things that need to get done after everyone goes to bed, and the introverts in my family are getting their Alone Time either early in the morning or via headphones and zoning out once I'm home from work.

Today, for example, the Hubs had the kids from when they got home from Grandma's (and oh, are their new haircuts cute, with Abby's little asymmetrical bob and Lizzy's pixie cut! See below) until I got home from work. Then Abby did her homework while Lizzy and I folded laundry (Lizzy is a sockmaster) and Laston got caught up on his computer stuff.

Now, having actually finished school (no grades yet; give it a few more days), one would expect me to have more time, for family, and Things That Must Be Done, and Alone Time.

But that does not take into account things like, oh, December (birthday, holidays, blah blah blah). Or Abby's little habit of leaving homework until the last minute (Sorry, kiddo - if you had done it over the course of the whole week as suggested, you wouldn't have so much tonight. Best you learn that lesson now instead of getting all the way to eighth grade and having no idea how to manage your time. Hence no Once tonight).

But I will have my Alone Time tonight, if I have to bite and scratch to get it.

Or put up with a tearful tween moaning how unfair I am, which is far more likely. Mean Mommy.

And that's after I order groceries for Abby's birthday party, email my favorite baker with the head count (and ask her what I owe her), having already done the dishes (usually Abby's job, but she was mired deep in words that are spelled the same but sound different and mean different things, with Laston helping her only as needed... as should be the case).

So instead of our nightly hour of TV, Abby will be helping me order snacks for her party. And she will like it. Or she will at least shut up about it. And now I need to find another time to clean out under the couch and ferry Christmas decorations in and etc.

I suppose we could do the Christmas decorating after the party, like Sunday...

Who said I'd have more time after school was out again?