Time to Myself?

I hadn't realized, until we became parents, how much my husband and I both took for granted the time alone together, and the time each of us had to do things on on our own.  We knew things would change -- some people seem to relish telling you that, for some reason. 

I get up, go to work, and drive home again at the end of the workday.  [A few days a week I stop for a very quick 30 minute workout at the gym.] Once home, I prepare/heat up dinner and spend time with my daughter until she goes to bed.  If that is early enough, I get time to throw in a load of laundry, read a book, etc.  If it is not early enough, I get no time.  And sometimes lately, with the heat and the teething, she ends up spending part of the night in bed with us.  I love her with the white-hot intensity of the Sun, but I'd really like to just curl up and sleep without worrying that she'll wake up and crawl off the bed and hurt herself.

But today I am happy.  Work is going well and I've been really productive this week.  I have a four day weekend ahead of me and have "negotiated" with my husband for some time to myself tomorrow afternoon.  I may see a movie.  I may take my laptop and go write in a bookstore or library somewhere. Possibilities abound.

[A version of this post was originally posted as a comment on someone else's blog; I thought I'd cut and paste it here, since I haven't written in so long!]