Vegas Baby!

Next week, the hubby and I are headed to Las Vegas for 3 days to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary and his birthday. And while I am excited – hello, it’s Vegas and Vacation – I am worried and already feeling guilty for leaving the girls.

As a working mom, I get very few hours of the day to spend with my kids. And while we have the weekends, those are jam-packed with errands, games, laundry and other stuff that doesn’t get accomplished during the week. And I love hanging out with my kids! Whether we are just having a movie night and eating popcorn to going to the zoo, we always have a GREAT time!
Now, I am not saying that there aren’t days when they drive me a little crazy (how many times can I say “please pick up the Candyland game” or “no, you can’t wear flip flops to school when it is 50 degrees outside and raining.”). Typically my “free” or “me” time consists of a run to Target or Hy-vee to pick up groceries or some necessity. And this doesn’t bother me most of the time – I crank up the radio and daydream about a beach somewhere. (Now do I think this “me” time is equal to my husband’s? No, but this is another post for another day).

OK – so you ask, why are you going? Because I realize that I/we need this getaway. I’ll be honest, my focus has not been on my husband/marriage since the kids were born. At first, with twins, we were just trying to make it through the day. We didn’t have time to sleep, much less talk to each other, with the exception of “who needs a bottle” or “can you run to the store and get more diapers?”. And as the kids have gotten older and we have a better routine, life just seems to happen (the lawn needs mowed, soccer practice, one of us has to work late). We try to have a date night every 6 weeks, but even then it is only for a few hours. And we normally end up running errands or just sitting watching a game while we eat dinner (I do miss watching all 4 quarters of a college football game).

Early in our marriage, someone asked me how married life was. I responded with “it’s not like anything changed; we still love to go out to sporting events, work around the house, and just enjoying each other’s company.” But when the kids came, things changed and we changed. And now we both realize that we need to work on being “us” again. So Vegas, here we come.

But my worries linger:

1. Will the girls be ok? The last time I left for work (Scott was still home) they had some “issues” at school with listening and not following directions.

2. What if something happens while we are away?

3. Will they hate me when I return? Yes, I realize they are only 4, but they are like me and hold grudges for a long time.

4. What if they don’t miss me at all? (Grandma and Grandpa are staying with them and, so far, are much cooler than Mommy and Daddy already.)

5. What am I going to talk to with my hubby about for 3 days? And if you know my hubby, he is not a talker!

I realize my worries may be a little extreme and that parents do this all the time, but I am a wuss. So while I am gone, just cross your fingers and say a little prayer that I have hit it big on the slots and can quit my job and be a stay at home mom.

Jean Anne