We Took a Forced Family Vacation!

​This week I had to take a forced vacation. How can a vacation be forced you ask and does that even exist? Yes, it does! A forced vacation exists when you do not take vacations and you use your vacation days for doctors appointments, church events or mommy duties. However, this week I was forced to take a vacation because I didn’t have anyone to watch my kids.


You see I am one in few that has a mother who is able to take care of her kids. Which is uncommon this day in age because usually everyone is working to survive until the age of 90. It’s a blessing not having to worry if they are being taken care of properly. However, for the last few years my mom has been doing something that I haven’t done in many years! She has taken a break and went on a much needed vacation. Come to think about it all her vacations have been forced as well because my dad usually books the trips before telling her so she has no choice but to go. Again, it’s the work-a-holic in us. So this week was one of those weeks, my mom went on vacation so we had to take a stay-cation.


I was actually very excited about this because I have not been able to spend an entire week with my family since we have become a family of 5. This vacation was long over due. I remember when we would purposefully take a vacation the last week in July for Maiyas birthday and go everywhere. We would go to the zoo, the aquarium, the park you name it, we did it. We loved it, but as years went on the busier we got and the harder it got to spend time with each other.


We try, my God we try to spend time with each other but something either comes up or we are just too tired to do anything. Truth of the matter is that family time is a must and no matter how tired we are it needs to happen. So this stay-cation was great and way over due. I finally got to do stuff I haven’t done in years!


I finally got to sit through an entire gymnastics practice after 8 months of missing out. I finally took Aaliyah to the zoo to see moo cow and baaa sheep! I finally got to sleep in and wake up at 7am because that’s how long baby Aria lets me sleep. We finally got to have time for ourselves! Best part about all of this is that we didn’t tell ANYONE!


It’s ok to go on vacation and not tell anyone. Marcus and I take days off sometimes without anyone knowing and it is wonderful. It’s like when people know we are off they always they always want us to do something! Well not this time!


I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I’m writing this because I don’t want you to get to where I am. Spend some quality time with each other, even if you are too tired to do anything, do it anyway! We make it a point to spend at least an hour or two of uninterrupted family time everyday. We eat dinner together at the table no matter what time it is and then we watch a movie or have a dance party before bed. Best advise I can give you is to take a full week off and do things together. Take a small road trip to a near by city and visit their zoo, take a walk to the park, go roller skating or bowling. It doesn’t have to be expensive as along as you do something together that’s all that matters.


For my single ladies reading this. Take a break, go on vacation by yourself and focus on you. If you don’t have the money to go out of state then drive to a nearby city and spend the day there. Find a nearby park and sit there have a picnic, listen to a podcast or read a great book. Could you imagine going somewhere alone, not having to wait on anyone or doing something you don’t want to do. That sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?


We can get lost in our daily lives and forget to have fun with the people we love. I have a new appreciation for this forced vacation because it forced me to spend some much needed family time with the 4 people I love the most!