tajk,

Fun mom doesn't have to go! Just because you're not manic doesn't mean you can't be fun. So you'll bake brownies at 2 in the afternoon instead.

Carve an hour a couple times a week to play board games, read, or color.

Don't get me wrong, I love my manic stage and I miss it... a lot. (I was a redecorator too) But I don't know about you, but I didn't think very clearly, and although I got a lot done because I wasn't sleeping, I'd have to redo things because I'd be in the middle of one thing and something else would catch my eye. Ew shiney thing.

But I would definately talk to them about it, so that as they get older the topic is comfortable and they're more likely to talk to you about it if, God forbid, they start showing symptoms as teenagers.

In my opinion, you've got it just about right, tell them that Mom is sick, it's nothing to be worried about, but when she was sick she did some silly things and she's getting better now.