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April 02, 2007
To Vegas and back
John and I went to Las Vegas last weekend. Alone. Without children. For the first time. I was a bit anxious about it all, and wanted to write about it, but I didn't particularly want to put out there that:
a) our house was void of people, come and get it,
b) go get our children, we're not around, and
c) that we were going to Vegas, of all places, and debauchery was likely to ensue. [I was there for a conference, though....]
For all of my nervousness, Gus and Eli made it really quite easy.
Perhaps it was the fact that Gus, the night before we were leaving, was crying about NOT wanting to be home, he was ready to sleep at Danny's house, by God. [So we let him sleep in his toddler-sized Aerobed that night. Why not?]
Or maybe it was the fact that on Friday morning, Gus literally pushed me to the door, saying, "You can go now, I'll close the door for you." Uhh, where's the crying, screaming fit? And Eli? He has yet to have a separation anxiety episode when I leave him. Anywhere. In fact, the kid just takes off walking anymore, without looking back. He's even been known to go up to unknown women and throw his arms up in the air to be picked up.
Or was it when I called Gus one day, and finally got him on the phone, and after I asked him how he was ["Well," he said], he promptly threw down the phone. That was the only word I heard from him the four days we were gone. So much for missing us.
It helped, though, that they were fine. They were more fine than I was. I was actually better than I thought I would be...I slept, enjoyed going out at night, enjoyed eating my dinner with TWO hands and no pieces needed to be cut up in bite-sized, unchokeable chunks.
But I missed them.
Many people were surprised we had never been away before. I had only been away one night from Gus, and that was the night Eli was born. It doesn't surprise me, though. I work full-time. I see my kids awake maybe four hours out of a 24-hour day. And most of those four hours are dealing with some kind of meal, some kind of changing of clothes, and not enough pure playing.
It's important to get away, many say. You should remember you're a person, too, other say. Ok, ok... I'm fully aware I'm a person, I even have a business card that says as much. But I like being a Mom, and I just don't get to fully do that enough.
So Vegas? I might not be back. Secluded beach vacation in the Caribbean? Call me, let's chat.
Posted by janna at April 2, 2007 12:15 AM
Comments
Ken and I felt exactly the same way about parenting and leaving our children. We knew it would have been good for all of us to occasionally leave them and take time for "us", but it seemed like our time was so limited with them that we hated any time away from them. This could be the reason Alex was so happy to go away to college and Kersten has been college shopping since last year..... hmmmm...
Posted by: Aunt Deb at April 9, 2007 08:48 PM