Do Whatever You Want Day

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I didn't write yesterday because I was too busy eating tons of appetizers, holding my precious niece, and visiting with family. It was a wonderful day.

I wanted to let you know about a very special holiday we Franzens developed last year. Today, which some of you refer to as Black Friday, is actually what we call Do Whatever You Want Day.

What's that, you ask? You've never heard of such a thing? Allow me to fill you in on this most wondrous occasion.

It all started last fall, when I was in the throes of obsessively watching sitcoms in the basement. I believe I was on a Big Bang Theory binge when the idea struck. As usual, we'd spent Thanksgiving with my husband's father's family, enjoying the chance to catch up and visit with relatives we sometimes only see once per year. It's always a great time. The day after, however, I was exhausted and I just wanted to chill. I wanted to sit in the basement and plow through a couple seasons of The Big Bang Theory before the DVDs were due back to the library. I didn't want to feel guilty about saddling Tim with the girls all day. I wanted us all to have a break.

So I declared it Do Whatever You Want Day and everyone felt like a winner. The girls chose to watch their favorite shows and play video games, Tim read and did random things on his phone, and I got to finish the borrowed DVDs before the late fees started rolling in. Everyone got to relax and do what they wanted, which was pretty much just be lazy and zone out in front of a screen.

We have rules about "screen time" at our house. The girls are not allowed to watch TV or play video games until 4PM. Once 4PM hits, they can turn on the TV and chill for a bit before dinner, baths, and bedtime routines begin. I figure if they were at public school, they wouldn't be sitting in front of a screen all day, so I don't want them doing that at home. I think it's fine for them to have a couple hours to laze about after a busy day of school and play. We all deserve the opportunity to relax and unwind after we've been working hard. By the time 4 hits, we are all ready for a bit of a break. It works for our family to have things clear cut like this.

So that's part of why Do Whatever You Want Day is such a treat for us. We get to be lazy and shake off the rules knowing that we'll be back to the grind of work and play soon.

This year, I spent the day in bed, reading voraciously. It was so nice to finish a book without feeling guilty, being interrupted constantly, or staying up super late. Tim alternated between reading and, again, doing random things on his phone. The kids set up Lexi's new Rock Tumbler this morning then alternated between watching TV and playing games. It was a good day.

Black Friday seems to be a good fit for us to celebrate this holiday. Tim's company gives him the day off and we aren't people who go out trying to score good deals on Christmas gifts. After the craziness of Lexi's birthday, Thanksgiving and more, it's the perfect day for us to relax and do what we want without feeling guilty. Another great day for this holiday is the day after Christmas, when everyone just wants a chance to enjoy their new gifts in peace.

I highly recommend you give Do Whatever You Want Day a try. All you need to do is pick a day when you and your family members need to relax, let go of any guilt you may have knowing that you'll be back to the grind tomorrow, and take some time to enjoying doing, well, whatever you want!

If you decide to give it a try, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge.

5 Times Being a Parent Pays Off

I enjoy being a parent. There are hard times, don't get me wrong. There are times when I want to clock out, or fire myself. Most days are decent though. I like being home with my kids and I don't want that to change. But there are some instances when being a parent RULES and totally makes up for all the worry/exhaustion/annoyance/lack of sleep!

1. Halloween
Ever heard of the candy tax? That's when your kid collect a bucket of candy and you eat it while they sleep. As we were heading out to trick-or-treat, I told my youngest that I would be taking 30-50% of her candy because I'm her mom and I've earned it. Now don't think that I eat ALL of her candy, because that would be mean. I don't do that. I make sure to leave plenty of her favorites and eat mostly chocolate. And Swedish Fish. And Mike and Ike's. I love Halloween.

Come to me, sweet rewards!

2. Holidays in general, actuallyHolidays rock when you're a kid. Presents, food, cool decorations, fun traditions. They are a good time. Then you become a teen and you're in an awkward place where you want to participate but it might not be entirely socially acceptable. Then you become an adult without kids and some holidays become kind of a bummer. But having a kid makes holidays magical. The look on their faces on Christmas morning. Getting to be the one to hide eggs in really tricky places. Eating candy. That never gets old. Holidays with kids are awesome because their excitement totally rubs off. Don't forget to ask them what they are getting you for Christmas.

3. When you manage to teach your kid something cool. Kids are sponges, as the saying goes. Sometimes though, they manage to soak in something extra cool or something directly from you, and it feels really awesome when they show it. Like when my kid starts using a funny catch phrase she totally picked up from me, or, y'know, learns to read. Now that is awesome. It's amazing to watch them evolve into unique people with actual skills. My kid is learning to draw and she's actually good. I like to think she got some of that from me, either through genetics or because I sit down to draw a lot with them. Either way, I enjoy seeing my kids learn new skills.

I taught this kid to read and now she stays up late doing it!

4. When you need someone to geek out with.
Your kid loves you and thinks that everything you love is awesome by default. So when your spouse is tired of hearing you talk about Pokemon (here's looking at you, Tim!) your kid will be there to nerd out with you. When you need an excuse to re-read all of the Harry Potter books, just start reading them to your kid. Soon they will become a nerd just like you and you can enjoy it together.

5. When you need someone in your corner.
There are plenty of people out there that can make you feel like crap. Some days, you might replay a conversation in your head over and over again and feel like an idiot because of something you said. Sometimes, people out in your workplace or friend group just don't get you and it's a huge bummer. If you haven't tried venting to your kid yet, you need to. The other day I was upset by something that someone said to me and after being sad about it for a while, I told my oldest all about it. She cried with me and we talked about how it's important to be careful with what we say so we don't hurt others. She was totally in my corner, and I'm not going to lie, it felt great.

This cutie is 100% Team Mom

So, what do YOU think makes parenthood extra awesome?

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge.