A Mommy Vacation, Sort Of...

I am just now beginning to find my groove again, after a ten day Mommy Vacation.  But before you get too jealous, please know that there wasn't much rest or relaxation going on.  Honestly, it was a whole lot of work vacating...  

I packed the kids for ten days away.  That means pretty much everything in the house, minus a few outfits and a few toys.  I packed my own stuff for ten days away, including everything I needed for a three-event wedding weekend, gifts for the happy couple and my sister, and the usual travel goods.  Plus I had to organize it all in such a fashion that Gramzy and Pop could figure out where everything was, and I could pick and choose how to repack for each new state ; )  Oh, and I not only prepped all of the above by myself...  I lugged every last piece of it into the car and packed it myself.  Making note of each item on the packing list I always use to get everything back home again ; )  AND I got us all out the door on time without forgetting anything important.  Miracles never cease!

We left on Thursday for Gramzy and Pop's place and got the kids settled in.  Friday I headed out to my parent's house, and then on with them to Georgia for my cousin's wedding.  Sunday I returned to my folks' house to pick up my car and then headed back to see the kids for a few days.  Then on Wednesday afternoon I packed myself up again and headed back to my own house to spend the night before heading on up to Virginia to see my sister's new house.  I stayed there until Saturday, when I returned home just in time to pick up the hubster from the airport.  Oh yes, while I went to Crazytown the husband was out west for business.  Marvelous timing right?

By my count that's 23 hours of driving.  Which would have been 28 were it not for sweet Gramzy and Pop, who volunteered to pack up all the kids' things and drive them back to Raleigh for me and even arrived with a suitcase full of the children's CLEAN LAUNDRY.  Seriously, I heard bells and singing and saw colored lights dance before my eyes.  (PS  Check me off your Christmas lists Gramzy and Pop, I have already been gifted beyond measure!!)    

So to sum up...  Mommy Vacation wasn't all that restful or relaxing, between the constant travel and repacking.  But it was really, really nice nonetheless.  

• It was good for the kids to be away from me for a while.  To learn to depend on others like they do me.  And to grow their love for Gramzy and Pop.  
• It was good for me to be away from the kids for a while.  I remembered what freedom and flexibility were.  I got to give my whole self to my family, instead of having one eye and ear always trained on the kids.  And no way, no how could I have ever attended the GA and VA events without having the kids taken care of.  
• It was good for Gramzy and Pop.  To have the kids totally to themselves.  To be their everything and more in my absence.  And to start decorating their corner of the kids' hearts with memories.

Yes, I'd say that makes this Mommycation a smashing success!  Totally worth the fact that both kids got sick within 24 hours of getting home and that Addison has some new separation anxiety going on.  I'm just considering it another part of the "getting back into our routine" phase.  Which hopefully works itself out sooner rather than later...  I just hope the kids don't find being at home with me again to be a real drag now that they know what real fun is!!  Check out some of the action at Gramzy and Pop's...