This week I decided to take all three girls to our family's little beach cabin (above) for a night or two. Why I had such a hankerin' to get out of town and take on such a fete is probably a blog post in itself, but I have a feeling it could be summed up in the words - "an itchin' to get away!" The cabin sits right on the river...it's a reasonably close...and free! Makes sense right?
I learned a few things on this short - one night trip away - that I know I have learned before...and yet keep forgetting.
1. You can't escape parenting even in a different location (unless you've left the kids at home...) - and don't forget, it's even harder in a new local.
2. The drive there and back is the most peaceful part, as the children are secured nicely in carseats and watching a movie on the van's dvd player.
2a. Calories eaten in the car are STILL calories - dang it! (Ruby had her first corn dog on the way out of town and her first licorice sticks on the way home)
2b. Try hard not to judge on 2a's menu choices.
3. The sand and wind and cold ocean air are just not fun with toddlers.
4. I still need my mom (She got done with school at 12pm on Tuesday, drove to the coast, spent the night with us girls, got up at 5:30am the next morning to get back to her kindergarten teaching duties, drove back to the coast, took Daphne on a walk on the beach, and then helped me pack up and clean the cabin before leaving)
4a. Only a mom would do that...and say she had fun doing it!
5. Home is always wonderful to return to.
6. These are the trips I'll remember for a lifetime.
I learned a few things on this short - one night trip away - that I know I have learned before...and yet keep forgetting.
1. You can't escape parenting even in a different location (unless you've left the kids at home...) - and don't forget, it's even harder in a new local.
2. The drive there and back is the most peaceful part, as the children are secured nicely in carseats and watching a movie on the van's dvd player.
2a. Calories eaten in the car are STILL calories - dang it! (Ruby had her first corn dog on the way out of town and her first licorice sticks on the way home)
2b. Try hard not to judge on 2a's menu choices.
3. The sand and wind and cold ocean air are just not fun with toddlers.
4. I still need my mom (She got done with school at 12pm on Tuesday, drove to the coast, spent the night with us girls, got up at 5:30am the next morning to get back to her kindergarten teaching duties, drove back to the coast, took Daphne on a walk on the beach, and then helped me pack up and clean the cabin before leaving)
4a. Only a mom would do that...and say she had fun doing it!
5. Home is always wonderful to return to.
6. These are the trips I'll remember for a lifetime.
10 comments:
I can almost hear the phone conversation that's going to happen in thirty years, from a young mom named Daphne. "Mom, this mom gig is so hard. I can't believe you how easy you made it look and all the fun things we did as kids.... anyway mom I gotta go Chip's playing the toilet again."
And then you'll call me and we'll laugh wildly and go see a movie in the middle of the afternoon.
Rebecca's comment cracks me up! What a great mama you have!
I think it's true that we'll remember these crazy things we do with more fondness than we feel at the actual time we are freezing on the beach/feeding them junk/wishing they would sleep/crying to our own mommies.
My parents die laughing sometimes when my kids are crazy out of control. I guess that's what you get to do when you are removed by a generation. But they would give anything to do it again or have those crazy years back.
Will these fond motherly feelings just magically come to me eventually?
Hi!! You're so right!! We'll never forget these times, when we are together and away, so we can sit and talk, laugh, burp, or whatever!! When we're home, we just don't always have the time to just visit and relax. I know that's what draws me to the beach. I'll never forget all our beach trips!!!!!
But, as you grow as a mom (and you'll never stop growing as a mom!) you realize how very sweet it is to help each other through those baby years. Talk about a learning curve!
I'm happy you got away. It's in our blood to do so once in a while, and isn't it nice that the girls will also have this heritage.
Love you always!
Mom
I truly appreciate your honesty! You have a wonderful Mom to come and help you with your adorable girls....glad you had fun!
Loved this post and love that you do little girl getaways when you get the "itch". There's just something grand about getting out of your own house and all that goes with it.
PS---Thanks for all your sweet comments on my blog. I'd LOVE for you to come and visit anytime! My boys are going on an overnighter w/ Ben & the dads/boys from our church.(I'm trying to convince him to take Dylan, too, but he thinks he needs to be out of diapers first!)It will be sometime in May, although we haven't nailed down a date.
I am laughing right now..and craving licorice. And I am laughing with you, because I too love to get away, but then have no idea what I was thinking once I get there!! Oh the things we do to make memories!!
A corn dog has corn...right??
I love them!
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