Spontaneity

I like to think I'm flexible and adaptable. I've discovered that with three kids, I am not.

Due to some upheavals, my partner decided we needed to go on a holiday, it had to be overseas and had to be next week (he has a boys weekend coming up so had to be back for that).

There are rules about proximity to purchasing an international air ticket and the departure date, so the whole thing had to be organised in 24 hours.

Now I know what you're thinking, who wouldn't be happy about a holiday? The problem is, we are going away in April, so I really didn't want to spend the money. Finding 5 cheap airfares to anywhere was the first mission. Even Bali was starting at $4000 for the airfares alone.

Then, once availability was found and the trip booked, came the cancelling everything else. I had a class to teach (thus replacement to organise), tickets to a show, a lunch. My kids had lessons to cancel, schools to notify (and high school does not take kindly to absences), and assignments to get done prior to leaving.

The whole process was time consuming and my stress levels shot through the roof in the course of time, and I'm not proud to say a little resentment also kicked in. I'm now out the other side but with the realisation I'm not that flexible. I also learnt it's probably not so much that kids need routine, but that we, the parents, need the routine to keep the balls in the air and things running smoothly...I'm not quite the person I thought I was.

So I'm off the air a few days & up in the air for a few hours...and you'll be glad to know, now that all the stressful crappy organising is sorted, I'm beginning to look forward to the break.

Linking up with the lovely Jess for IBOT - join the entertainment here