A Vacation within a Vacation
My parents generously offered to care for our offspring while we ventured out on our own. Something we rarely ever do. Since our hotel was only about a mile from my parents' house, it was our own little vacation staycation.
It's a strange experience to be away from your kids when you are not in the habit of doing so. It is quite a curious mixture of pain and pleasure.
We experienced unhurried, leisurely, grown-up dining (we didn't order coffee, but we could have), watched cable tv, slept late, enjoyed a late night stroll on the boardwalk, and, at the top of my list -- we swam at the beach, I myself floating serenely on the waves without having to surrender to the nagging compulsion to visually check on my young ones every 30 seconds. That was sheer bliss. It's been years since I floated peacefully in the ocean.
But somehow in the midst of my delight, I couldn't help but wistfully think of the kids and long that we were all together.
Of course, later in the trip (once our little honeymoon was over) we got our family time in the water -- and don't you just know what I was thinking: Man! I wish I could just float serenely on the waves without having to surrender to the nagging compulsion to visually check on my young ones every 30 seconds!
[sigh]
I may never get used to this conundrum that is parenting.
2 comments:
Funny how that works--when you have time alone, you can only talk and think about the kids, but then when you are with the kids, you can only think of time alone. I feel ya!
Your view was niiice! What a great vacations and how perfect that your parents were only a mile away. I am hoping on our upcoming trip, Sam and I can take a stroll by ourselves :)
Wow, your parents are the greatest!
I totally hear you about that conundrum, and I think it would be even harder if the kids were a mile away -- I'd be so tempted to go spy on them!
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