I never thought I would be one of those moms who wanted to spend Mother's Day away from their children. What is the point in that? Isn't this holiday about family? However, this year I asked to spend the night away from the family. That's right... every mother's dream. One night, uninterrupted sleep, and no responsibility in the morning!
Let me back up a little. We had a lovely day. We headed up to the Racine, WI zoo. I love that zoo. It is small but fun. We don't need to bring a stroller because it is just the right size for both of our children to walk around the zoo a few times and not be too tired. The train ride is cheap ($2 per person, Ben was free). We packed our own healthy lunch. It just so happened that it was also the lion cubs' first birthday so the zoo had big cakes and we all got a slice! Perfect morning.
Did our normal naps in the afternoon, hung out a bit at home, visited a new restaurant for dinner... Chinese buffet. I should have known better... DIET FAIL! BUT... SO TASTY! There was food there the kids liked, reasonably priced (and again, Ben was free!). It was super good, not shady like the ones back home in Pittsburgh!
After that... I left. I had some treats, a book, my tooth brush and pjs. I was ready to be by myself. The novelty wore off sometime around an hour after the kids bedtime. Although I was grateful to skip out on the stress of getting my stubborn children to bed, I was lonely and bored without my husband. I enjoyed watching certain shows I can not normally watch because we don't get most cable channels (Army Wives, 16 and Pregnant, and TONS of Law and Order Criminal Intent). But I couldn't fall asleep in that bed by myself, too lonely. No kitties taking up my side of the bed, no husband snoring.
But I have to say, it was all worth it to wake up on my OWN in the morning. I slept till 7:15... sadly in our household, that is sleeping in. Gotta love before 6am risers! And I didn't have kids barging in first thing in the morning with demands, hitting me in the face with toys, and the sounds of unhappy tortured kitties. I wasn't in charge of breakfast or getting the kids out the door in time for Preschool.
Will I ever do that again? Probably not. A few hours of tv and 15 minutes of peace in the morning was not worth missing out on morning snuggles with my boy, kisses and pats on the back at bedtime with my daughter.
This was an exercise in remembering how much I love my children. They fight, they hit, they kick, they scream, they demand, they jump... but they snuggle and love. They are funny and clever, energetic and entertaining. I love them with all of my heart. I have realized that I need to take more time to step back from bad or frustrating situations and remember how much I love them and that they are still SO young and really do not mean to be naughty, they are just reacting to a situation how 2 year olds and 4 year olds react.
I need to remember that each moment of the day, whether it is pleasant or not, is a moment that only my children can give me. And without them, I would still be behind a computer at a desk, spending 8-9 hours a day bored and lonely. They fill my life in a way no other human being could possibly satisfy. Thank you, my children, for making me a MOM.
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