As many of you know, my family does Thanksgiving a little differently. Every year, we head to the hills of West Virginia to spend time at Deer Camp with our nearest and dearest. I usually play the role of fry cook, which means during my “vacation” I’m up every day at 4AM, getting a huge breakfast of ‘taters, eggs, venison and biscuits ready to fuel everyone through a long day of deer hunting. It reminds me of this Mom who “vacations” at the beach!
This year, Dale and the boys are heading to the cabin as usual, but I’m staying behind. That’s right – for second time in 18 years, the family’s going to have to fry their own eggs.
At first, I was sad about skipping the annual trip. While ten-degree nights, zero electricity, an outhouse and no shower might sound miserable to some, I actually love being at camp. Then I remembered that I also love a big soft bed, warm bubble baths, and having my dinner delivered. Suddenly staying behind didn’t seem so bad.
Planning my “Home Alone” holiday got me thinking about how my definition of relaxation has changed. In my 20’s, I kicked back by hitting the club, staying up all night, and dancing on the bar. Now that I’m a wife and mother, I get excited about taking a long, hot 
shower without any interruptions and spending as long as I want in the hallowed aisles of Target. I can’t wait to sleep whenever I feel like it, have complete control of the remote, visit with my girlfriends and go shopping on Black Friday.
It’s not that I’ve gotten boring. It’s just that I’m a working mother, which is one of the most exhausting roles in the world. In fact, a recent study found that, on average, mothers get a whopping 17 minutes a day to themselves – if they’re lucky. So while I’ll miss Dale and the boys, this Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for the chance to truly relax, not just for 17 minutes, but for a few days.
Tell me: how will you spend Thanksgiving this year? Do you get to relax or will it feel more like a “working vacation”?
Happy Monday,
Mary
