Out of the Blogosphere Message

Hello. Thank you for stopping by my blog. I will be on vacation and out of the blogosphere for the next few days or so and will not be setting one finger on a keyboard until my return. Should you need immediate material to satisfy your blog-reading addiction or simply something to occupy your time so you can continue to procrastinate and avoid vacuuming the living room or starting your taxes, please visit another friendly blog or try Googling “blog addiction recovery,” “how to avoid housework” or "Fair Tax."

Until I’m back musing on this chunk of Cyberspace, here’s a look at my itinerary for a family vacation in paradise, compliments of my parents. (For Christmas, the girls’ Gaba and Papa planned an amazing beach trip for all of us – as in my nuclear family and my brothers. Thanks, Mom and Dad!)

WHAT I WILL BE DOING:

--Spending quality time with the hubby, the girls, my parents and my brothers
--Keeping the baby from eating sand
--Building sandcastles with Madeline
--Nursing on the beach (how cool is that?)
--Eating
--Reading
--Writing in a travel journal
--Watching Madeline’s glee as she explores paradise
--Slathering on sunscreen
--Wearing flip-flops, sundresses and other light, airy clothing
--Eating
--Reading
--Going on beach walks
--Reapplying sunscreen
--Writing Madeline’s name in the sand
--Swimming with dolphins (really – my mom arranged a dolphin encounter for me, knowing this is on my “Things to Do Before I Die” list)
--Eating
--Reading
--Wearing green on St. Patrick's Day
--Gathering palms to bring home (at Palm Sunday Mass, not at the beach)
--Laughing (with my dad and brothers around, nonstop hilarity is guaranteed)
--Holding hands with the hubby and/or Madeline on the aforementioned beach walks
--Reluctantly gambling (my aunt gave me some money for Christmas to cash in at the casino. Although I was under strict orders to use it for this purpose only, I admit that being the frugal - okay, cheap - woman that I am, I was really tempted to put it toward groceries.)
--Thanking God for my parents’ generosity, our time together as a family and His creation. "I made the sandy shore the sea's limit." Jeremiah 5:22
--Did I mention reading and eating?

WHAT I WON’T BE DOING:

--Worrying about the elections, freelance deadlines, making Madeline nap, whether or not Dave’s going to do a fellowship or anything else for that matter
--Blogging (or reading blogs)
--Checking email
--Laundry
--Making dinner (or breakfast or lunch)
--Grocery shopping
--Making beds
--Talking on the phone
--Chasing dust bunnies
--Spending an inordinate amount of the time in the bathroom, coaxing Madeline to poop (Instead, I will be putting generous scoops of Miralax into her drinks and hope that it works its wonders)
--Feeling guilty that I’m not worrying about freelancing, Madeline’s naps or bowel movements, checking email, the elections, fellowships, blogging, making dinner, doing laundry, etc.
--Making to-do lists
--Wearing sweaters, jackets or jeans
--Nursing in the minivan parked in a grocery store parking lot
--Wishing I was doing anything other than what I’m doing
--Obsessing over the goopy spit-up stain on the baby’s onesie and my shirt (well, I may still be doing this…just a little.)
--Forgetting to thank God for my many blessings, including Jesus’ death and resurrection (just because I’m in paradise doesn’t mean Lent’s over, after all.)

Stay tuned...