I told you last week all about my fancy new milk frother, and how wonderful it is that I can now have a latte any old time I feel like it. The truth is, most days I make myself one. One very special latte, for a very special time of day.
I've struggled this winter with the demands of my little world here. Busy baby, busy pre-schooler (I really, really wanted to type toddler, when did she become a pre-schooler?), busy school-aged kids, busy husband... You get the idea. Lots of busyness going on, and not a lot of quiet time. For an introvert like me, it's can feel like torture at times. Always someone there, someone talking, someone touching, and never a moment of peace. I found I was cranky by the time Stuart came home at the end of the day, which I'm sure was not fun for him, either. By the end of our evening meal, I spent half my time shushing people and sending kids away "to play". How nice is that to live with?
One evening, we were having a special movie/picnic night. Everyone was happy and having a good time, except me. I was telling Brian to stop bumping the coffee table, Gwenyth to please-for-the-love-of-all-that-is-good-please-stop-talking, sighing at Liam's need to be held, irritated with Katie for no particular reason. And let's not even get started about how Stuart could say Nothing Right At All. Suddenly, I had a moment of clarity. They were all happy. They were eating their dinner, having fun, relaxing after a busy week. It was not them. It was me. I quietly told Stuart that I needed a break, picked up my plate, collected my library book, and retreated to my bedroom. I sat in bed for about 45 minutes, eating my food and reading my book. When I came back out to the living room, it was like a whole new Mommy was there. I was calm, together, peaceful.
That evening was a real turning point for me; I realized that I need time. I need space, and quiet. And I also realized that there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for that time. That when I take that time, I am a better mother, a more content wife, a nicer person all round. Shortly after that, I instituted afternoon Quiet Time in my house. I maneuvered Liam's daily schedule around, and found activities to wear Gwenyth out in the morning. I take 45 minutes for myself every afternoon. This is not time to run around like a crazy woman catching up on house projects, this is not time to deep clean the hall closet or rummage in my studio. This is Quiet Time for me, too.
With the kids in bed (Gwenyth is in that place where she may or may not sleep, but she understands that she needs to play quietly in her bed, regardless), I make myself something healthy to eat. I prepare my special latte, and I sit down with my knitting, and something special to watch on TV. Right now, I'm watching the TV show Without a Trace on DVD (one episode of an hour long TV show on DVD exactly fills my 45 minutes, which is perfect). Some days, I choose to listen to a podcast instead. It doesn't really matter, what matters is that this is My Time. My daily ritual, that I've come to depend on. At the end of this time, Liam wakes up, Gwenyth comes out of her room, the kids come home from school, and we all kick into high gear. But it's okay, I can bring that peace and quiet with me from my afternoon, and share it with the rest of my family. Even when my little bundle of joy looks like this:

At the moment, I have the best kind of knitting for my afternoon ritual - I've finally gotten with the times, and cast on for a Clapotis! I can see why it's universally popular, the rhythmic stitches just fly along my needles, as I enjoy my peace and quiet.

What about you? Do you have a special daily/weekly/monthly ritual?