internet and hobby addiction

[leatheroo]

After only one week away, i have to admit that i have a raging internet addiction. We had no quick access to the internet (no i didnt use any of the unsecured wireless connections that i found) and found that we spent quite a lot of money at the internet cafe and spent time at the library (free internet). I didnt realise that i relied on the internet to fill in my spare time. In my spare time i am either doing leatherwork, airbrushing or on the internet. When on holidays we would do things during the day, but in between activities i found myself at a complete loss!!! You can only read so much!! i have forgotten how to relax without my hobbies!!! My son calls my leather tools "my babies" and i missed them sooooo much! It was also strange to be in a place that had no animals. Our pets are in the house with us most of the time and it was strange not to have a cat on my lap or the dog being my shadow. How do people live without pets? You can probably tell we dont get many holidays as i havent developed the necessary techniques to survive away from home. I also feel as a mother, when on holidays, you are really doing everything that you do at home, just in a different location under worse conditions, but the kids had a great time so i suppose that is what matters the most.... ..what i big whinger i sound like...i know many people would give alot to have a holiday...for me a great holiday would be if the family went away and i got to stay at home by myself...oh the bliss that would be...

[Johanna]

Roo- I know exactly what you mean. I was 33 when I became a parent, and remember having my privacy very well. I love it when Wade takes the kids somewhere and I have a few hours to work or play- it's just good to be alone sometimes. I truly love my family, but I appreciate having the house to myself occasionally. When I get overwhelmed, I go to one of the nearby cemeteries and walk around until I get my head together. Most of the time I am the only one there, but I've noticed that people just nod as they pass by, and don't try to engage in any conversation. If I call my sis from my cell phone, she'll ask me which one I'm at and comes if she can. Wade and I have a blended family of my two kids, two of his kids we do "shared parenting" with (don't get me started about that!) and a grown son that lives here in town who never lacks for drama in his life.

I used to be a retail manager of stores that were open 24/7 and I sometimes had the responsibility of 100 employees, but I usually read for an hour in a bubblebath every night. On the rare occasions I can lay in the bathtub now, I slip a tableknife in the door so no one can come in and ask me dumb questions like where are my socks? Will you drive me somewhere? What's for supper? Can you give me some money? NO I can't do anything like that- I am in the bathtub, are you paying attention here? I used to fire people that annoyed me and make them go away. The cemeteries are peaceful and no one says dumb things like (and yes, this one I heard yesterday) "Mom, will you drive me around so I can find my bike? I can't remember what friend's house I left it at." and stupid conversations like:

Kid: Wah!!! he hit me!

Me: why?

Kid: I knocked him over by accident and he got killed on his Nintendo

Me: why don't you go outside and play?

I'm with you, Roo. A real vacation for me would be for all of them to go camping for a week and leave me at home...and I'd miss them like crazy. Motherhood is a paradox.

Johanna