Dream Weekend
Right this very second I am sitting in Panera Bread. ALL ALONE. Wait. Did you catch that? I said, "All alone!" Exclamation point! 
Becky, Jack's sister, has outdone herself. For Jack's Christmas gift she gave him {and me by default} an overnight out at her luxury townhouse while she takes the kids to our house. And that is happening tomorrow night. For years now, this has been her gift to Jack and we LOVE it. Our little tradition is to have our friends Ken and Kristin join us and they're heading out tomorrow afternoon for what promises to be an overnight of fun and laughter. I can guarantee that.
And then this week, Becky surprised us and said, "I'm going to take the kids Friday night, too." And I think I hit my head on the ceiling, jumping for joy. Because in essence, that means a weekend away. With Jack. Without the kids. With a gift card to Lou Malnatti's for supper tomorrow night - my all-time favorite deep-dish pizza joint! And a gift card to Panera that I'm using right this SECOND. And all this translates to: This Mama's on VACATION.
{I'm not cooking. I'm not cleaning. I'm not taking care of kids. I'm not wiping bottoms. I'm not finding lost sippy cups. I'm sleeping in. I'm staying up late. I'm watching television and it ain't Thomas The Tank Engine. I'm napping when my body says it wants a nap. I'm sleeping in - did I mention that one? I'm reading magazines and books and blogging and .... well, you get the idea. It's currently all about me. And I love it.}
And here's the extra little bit of fun. Jack goes to jail on Friday nights, which means I get a few hours of "me" time ... as in totally alone. {Not that I wouldn't love it if he were here, but it just feels good to be alone.} I don't have to talk to anyone. I can nap if I want. I can just sit here and blog. Or, I can go over to Barnes and Noble and read. Or, I can go home to Becky's and watch HGTV and drink Diet Coke by the gallons. If I want. Because, it's just me for a few hours. And all the mothers in the world collectively yelled, "OH, she is SO darn lucky!"
So, I'm going to do a little bit of this and that. Whatever strikes me in the moment. By the way, the sun is shining in the Panera window; have I mentioned lately how much I have missed Mr. Sunshine this winter? It feels so good. Oh, I think I need to get up right this minute and get my free refill.
Delightful. Oh, and I don't have to bring Jackson to the potty right now. And Maddie isn't aggravating Jackson right now. Right now I am focused on myself. I'm so very self-centered right now. This feels oh so good!
{And Jackson, little Mama's boy that he is, knew the minute he woke up in our car and saw Becky's car next door. He started to cry and said, "I want Mommy." He knew I was going bye-bye and I didn't even have to tell him. That broke my heart. But then they drove out of sight and I rolled down the window and yelled, in a very loud voice, "I'm sleepin' in tomorrow morning!!!!!!! And Sunday morning, TOO!"}
Thank you Becky. You honestly have NO idea how much of a gift this is to me ... and it's technically not even my gift. Thanks, Jack, for sharing your Christmas present! You ROCK.
And yes, I asked a stranger to take a picture of me for my blog. It just needed to be documented. {And yes, I felt like a dork, but oh well.}
LIFE IS GOOD. SO VERY GOOD.
Becky, Jack's sister, has outdone herself. For Jack's Christmas gift she gave him {and me by default} an overnight out at her luxury townhouse while she takes the kids to our house. And that is happening tomorrow night. For years now, this has been her gift to Jack and we LOVE it. Our little tradition is to have our friends Ken and Kristin join us and they're heading out tomorrow afternoon for what promises to be an overnight of fun and laughter. I can guarantee that.And then this week, Becky surprised us and said, "I'm going to take the kids Friday night, too." And I think I hit my head on the ceiling, jumping for joy. Because in essence, that means a weekend away. With Jack. Without the kids. With a gift card to Lou Malnatti's for supper tomorrow night - my all-time favorite deep-dish pizza joint! And a gift card to Panera that I'm using right this SECOND. And all this translates to: This Mama's on VACATION.
{I'm not cooking. I'm not cleaning. I'm not taking care of kids. I'm not wiping bottoms. I'm not finding lost sippy cups. I'm sleeping in. I'm staying up late. I'm watching television and it ain't Thomas The Tank Engine. I'm napping when my body says it wants a nap. I'm sleeping in - did I mention that one? I'm reading magazines and books and blogging and .... well, you get the idea. It's currently all about me. And I love it.}
And here's the extra little bit of fun. Jack goes to jail on Friday nights, which means I get a few hours of "me" time ... as in totally alone. {Not that I wouldn't love it if he were here, but it just feels good to be alone.} I don't have to talk to anyone. I can nap if I want. I can just sit here and blog. Or, I can go over to Barnes and Noble and read. Or, I can go home to Becky's and watch HGTV and drink Diet Coke by the gallons. If I want. Because, it's just me for a few hours. And all the mothers in the world collectively yelled, "OH, she is SO darn lucky!"
And I know I am.
So, I'm going to do a little bit of this and that. Whatever strikes me in the moment. By the way, the sun is shining in the Panera window; have I mentioned lately how much I have missed Mr. Sunshine this winter? It feels so good. Oh, I think I need to get up right this minute and get my free refill.
Delightful. Oh, and I don't have to bring Jackson to the potty right now. And Maddie isn't aggravating Jackson right now. Right now I am focused on myself. I'm so very self-centered right now. This feels oh so good!{And Jackson, little Mama's boy that he is, knew the minute he woke up in our car and saw Becky's car next door. He started to cry and said, "I want Mommy." He knew I was going bye-bye and I didn't even have to tell him. That broke my heart. But then they drove out of sight and I rolled down the window and yelled, in a very loud voice, "I'm sleepin' in tomorrow morning!!!!!!! And Sunday morning, TOO!"}
Thank you Becky. You honestly have NO idea how much of a gift this is to me ... and it's technically not even my gift. Thanks, Jack, for sharing your Christmas present! You ROCK.
And yes, I asked a stranger to take a picture of me for my blog. It just needed to be documented. {And yes, I felt like a dork, but oh well.} LIFE IS GOOD. SO VERY GOOD.