Winter break is over and Little Man is back in school. Yay! We had a lot of fun in the two weeks off, but it also brought some challenges.

You see, I struggled with postpartum depression/anxiety with #1, and while I was never “sad” or “worried” per se, I was really cranky, and had a VERY hard time feeling confident about my momming ability and an even harder time getting out of the house. My doc and I have been much more proactive this time around and it has been MUCH better, but it still pops up every once in a while, especially when trying to do an outing that doesn’t go quite as smoothly as planned. It has definitely made me wary of single-handing an outing with both kids. Especially lately with Little Man being much more strong-willed and defiant than before Little Miss arrived.

But, there we were Friday at the end of two weeks of no school needing something to do. Papa was back at work and there was rain in the forecast, so that meant the neighborhood playground was off the agenda. I had a wild hair to go to CuriOdyssey for some indoor fun and to see the limited Winter Lights exhibit.

Before I could let my self-doubt talk me out of it, we got dressed and loaded up with the intention of arriving right at opening time (Better parking! Less crowded!). I had the kids loaded up in the car and paused at my box of essential oils, looking some support. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes knowing which oils I needed. I grabbed the White Angelica and Inner Child.

White Angelica is a blend that helps ward off negativity and brings a sense of strength and protection. I could bore you with all kinds of other details that are totally woo-woo, but I won’t. I call it “Patience in a Bottle” and it’s also the key ingredient in the Toddler Tantrum Tamer I often used when Little Man was a bit younger. I put a drop in my hand, rubbed my palms together and took several deep breaths of it before rubbing it on the top of my head (more woo-woo, I know).

Inner Child is a blend that helps us (re)connect with our inner child and has helped me in the past to let go and be silly with my son. On top of the hormone-influenced anxiety, I struggle with an abundance of seriousness and need a little prodding to be more fun. I rolled it on my writs and the back of my neck, turned off the kitchen lights and off we went.

It was super crowded, which would ordinarily set me on edge given how spazzy my guy can get when he’s super excited about things. But I found a bench near his favorite activity and let go. He needed a tiny bit of reminding about good turn taking, but for the most part, I let him sort it out with the other kids. We managed to be there for nearly TWO hours. He resisted leaving (of course), and Little Miss was fussing a LOT, but I kept it all together and we got out of there without a meltdown from either one of us.

It may not sound like a big deal, but in my world, it’s a total game changer and a definite check in the “win” column.