A Weekend Without the Babies, But With My Honey

This is normal. I must remind myself that this is what's supposed to happen.
--Completely natural.
This is what's supposed to happen.
--It's one more shift in our little family.

Jim and I have been given more "alone time" than we've ever had.
Well...since Mommy and Daddy hood happened anyway!

I never thought that I'd ask this once placed in the current situation...
BUT...
WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT????

I've waited patiently for this time to come.
Yes, my nights are still filled with interrupted sleep.
Bad dreams...
Sleep walking...
Falling out of bed...
The midnight, sleepy, stumbly, bumping trips to the bathroom still exist.
They have forced me to become a light sleeper.
I have one ear to the hall.

--- Ready to spring out of bed with the sound of the slightest creaky floorboard!
---There to catch one of my babies if she trips.

Jim slumbers on.
Dead to the world.
His head hits the pillow...
...and he's out!

That used to be me.

On my way to D.C.!

He was once jealous of my ability to catch "z's" at the drop of a hat.

Those nights are long gone.

How I function, let alone multi-task is a mystery to me.
---Scratch that...I know how I do it... I just can't get over the fact that I can do it every day!
I've been labeled as high energy by other mom's.
Maybe that has something to do with the "it" factor?
Who knows?
I, like most others, manage.

Mismatched socks, underwear on inside out...
I'm ready!

Lately, things have been easier.
When I say this...I do not mean easy.

Just
Easier.
IT'S SHOCKING!!
When did this transition happen?
I have moments to breathe...to write...to read my own books.
...AMAZING!!
This past year Jim and I have stolen two mini vacations together.
...AMAZING!
Happy, happy...joy...joy!

In February I tagged along on one of his business trips to Florida.
This was the first time since our Addi was born that we had spent this much time together with out our mini-me's tagging along.

Do you know what this meant?!
---Mom, this is where you should stop reading.

Not only were we able to sleep in but...
Here it goes...
What's better than sleep?
Not chocolate.
Well, sometimes...chocolate.
SEX!!!
Uninterrupted.
Steamy.
Hot.
Longer than ten minutes.
Fully nude...
With out fear of kid intrusion!!!
Mess up the hotel room...
S-E-X.

Am I horrible?
Have I gone too far?
I'm not sorry if I have...
This is honesty.
This is life.
This is time with out kids...
...AMAZING!!!!

This is what we both longed for and finally got!
We were lucky enough to steal a second trip together.
Dare I say it?
Should I think it?
Something will go horribly wrong...
No way that this is going to happen twice...

A cute D.C. Cafe with a sweet, little fox.

...in the same year.

I jumped into the Trailblazer as soon as that ninth period bell rang.
I booked it out the door...
...dropping my classroom keys on the floor, not once, but twice and nearly knocking two kids with very large instruments over trying to flee the scene! (sorry kids)
Barbara, our trusty GPS, was tucked in my bag and awaiting her orders.
Quick.
Change of state.
Virginia.
Not found.
Maryland.
No match found.
Enter state and address one more time.
Ooooh...this thing is way too specific...finally got it.
The school parking lot is a crowded, teenage mess now.
I wasted too much valuable time!
Every second counts on a Friday...
District of Columbia!
Washington, D.C.
SCORE!!!
Stopped to spend a fortune on gas...
and was on my merry way.
The Clash, Maroon Five, Flo Rida, Blondie, Guns N' Roses, Adele, Moby and an old mix CD got me through Long Island and Manhattan.
I have eclectic taste...what can I say?
I stopped at a rest stop for coffee.
No Luck.
I'm addicted to French Vanilla Creamer.
--No flavors here.
---Bummer.
Does this mean that I'm high maintenance?

Saw another option.
Five Hour Energy Drinks!
Hmmmm...
My guy is waiting!
Can't crash on the Jersey turnpike.
Bought it and slammed it.
It was nasty but wow, it did the job!
Baby, Here I come!!

I sang... Feeling fly...Like a G6...Like a G6...
La Isla Booooniiita!...the Spanish lullaby..Lalalalalalaaaaaa!
La Isla Boooniiiiiita!


Will the real Slim Shady...Please stand up? Please stand up??


I was rockin' out the whole way!


Other drivers catching a glimpse must have thought I was nuts.
That's ok...I was flying high on tourine...
Many thanks to the creators of the energy drink.

One of my favorite D.C. murals.

Jersey would have been Hell with out you.

I called my little sister...while I was flyin' high like a G6.
She laughed at me.

"Bill, that's old news! Did you just discover energy drinks!? "

"Ummm...No. I was always afraid of them. I was desperate."

(More giggles)

I caught up on lots of phone calls.
This was more talk time than I've logged in the past five years!
Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Friends...It was great.

Our hotel's corner.

I made it there in record time.

By 8:45 pm I was sitting in a cute pub off of Dupont Circle sipping a glass of wine and eating dinner with Jim and another couple.

Did we spend a whole lot of time talking about our girls?
Of course.
What else would we talk about?!
...I brought up Addi's latest:

She had pushed Chloe, calling her a mean, brat.
I had overheard.
I intervened.
Me: Addi, I heard that. (from the bathroom)
Addi: I didn't do anything wrong.
Me: Then why is Chloe crying and saying that you pushed her and called her a name?
Addi: Ugghh. I said sorry.
Me: That doesn't excuse it. Head to your room to chill out for ten minutes.
Addi: (stomps to her room and slams the door)
Me: (as I open her door) That was not the way to do this.
Addi: (as she rolls her eyes) Now what? Listen woman! I didn't do anything wrong!
Me: Whoa! I am Mom, not woman! That was totally disrespectful. Now you're stuck here longer.
Addi: (crying) What did I do? I didn't do anything?! YOU ARE A WOMAN! (in a softer voice, sort of to herself)...aren't you? (louder) Yes...you're a woman. Mom...I didn't say anything wrong.

I heard that last desperate plea from my bedroom and I nearly peed myself laughing.
I mean...she's right. I am a woman. There's that teenage drama and attitude beginning to possess my beloved, oldest daughter.

Can I throw her into a time machine?

Addi made a BIG kid mistake. That eye rolling thing is so snotty.
We had a good laugh over it.
Then it was Jim's turn.
He talked about so many of the clever things that our girls do and how smart he thinks they are.
We chatted about our girls to this very nice, childless couple.
Just what they wanted to hear on a Friday night.

We had bored them to death by 11.
They politely said that "It was getting late" they "were exhausted after a long week."

We strolled hand in hand, back to our hotel, loving the clean, picturesque city.

We were back in the quiet of the modern, mish mosh decor of our hotel room.
I washed my face.
Turned toward the bed.
There was Jim...
...crashed out with the remote control on his belly.
We are wild ones!
I tucked him in and went to bed.

What is almost as good as sex?
...sometime even better?
SLEEPING IN!

Saturday was all ours. Brunch (too late for breakfast) was eaten out doors at an adorable cafe that doubled as a book store. Coolest idea ever! You give your name and browse the book shop while waiting for your table. Genius!

My title for this is "Phallic DC Building."
This architect obviously spent way too much time
with his penis. 

We didn't have much time to be tourists. Attractions like the White House and The Washington Monument will come another time.

We wandered aimlessly and loved every minute of it.
It's not easy to finally have time.
Who knew?
I began to feel sorry for the "empty nesters" of the world.

Note to self: Get used to it now. Ease in before it's too late!! Baby steps.

Jim worked out at the hotel and I said,"Screw that!"
---Not this weekend!
I took a walk by myself, in the rain.
There's nothing sweeter to me than cities, at night, in the rain.
The shadows of the evening are softer when coated in mist.
People scrambled looking for shelter.
I wrapped my scarf over my head like an immigrant on Ellis Island and kept going.
It was lovely.

Julia, au pair extraordinaire checked in.
Grace was a mess!
She walked the house in tears, clutching a photo of us all night.
Chloe was a little easier...she stayed up past 11pm, but drifted to sleep after a five minute cuddle.
Addi sat panic struck, yelling," I need Mom Julia!!"- "Juliiiaa! Julliia! Where are you?" while Julia lay with Chloe, even though she knew where Julia was.

Oh no.

It's good to be missed...
Love is grand...
My poor babies.
Our poor Julia!
Maybe they aren't old enough for this yet?
Wait.
There, is never a good age for us to be gone.
This is healthy.
Repeat.
This is healthy.
I reminded Julia to tell the girls that we'd be back very soon (stress very) and that we loved them.

---HOME---
arrival time of Sunday, 6:35 pm

Julia had survived.

Chloe squeezed me harder than ever before. She allowed Grace come in for a huge hug, kisses and a big squeeze. Then Chloe came back for round two. Addi stayed outside, playing it cool. She's not supposed to like mushy, baby stuff anymore. I called her in saying,"Hey you! get over here, Missy! Where's my kiss hello?"
...smiling the entire time.
Addi gave me the cutest, crooked smirk, "What? Oh, ok."---then shyly dropped her gaze and kicked at the dirt.
Me,"Yeah, yeah...tough guy. Get in here you."
Addison sauntered into the kitchen. I gave her a ginormous hug and kiss, messing up her already messy hair. She didn't like that but she stayed anyway...pitying her silly Mama!

I heard Chloe and Gracie attacking Jim in the other room.

Life is good.