Every Mothers Day weekend, Mormon dads across the land take their sons to the grand tradition of the fathers and sons campout. Last year (see picture, left, of Matt looking sinister and Theo looking like he misses his mom already) Theo was kind of little for that so they just went for the Saturday morning breakfast. This year . . . gulp . . . they are going to camp out. Well, they are probably going to camp out. Matt was planning on it but it's been rainy and is supposed to rain again tonight, so if it's too much of a pain to pitch a tent in the mud with Theo climbing over his shoulder, then they'll be back in a few hours, and go back for the breakfast tomorrow.
I was looking forward to my night all alone . . . sleeping in . . . ahhh . . . but then I remembered that it's physically impossible for me to sleep in anymore anyway (insomnia) and I've never spent a single night apart from Theo yet! I debated leaving Theo here when I go to California for 5 days in a couple of weeks, but now I am realizing that I would probably be a basket case if I did that. I think I need to take baby steps first. (Baby steps get on the bus) They've only been gone like 20 minutes and I'm already secretly wishing that they'll show back up on the doorstep later tonight. And I'm not even the one who has to pitch the tent.
I'll be honest, as much as I love handing Theo off to Matt or to various babysitters and friends, and as much as I know he's 200% fine when he's with his dad, I am not that much less attached than I've ever been, in some ways. Let's be honest, I practically cried the first night Theo slept in his own room. I actually did cry the first time he slept through the night. Amazing but true. Can I help it though, I'm a first-timer. To me these "events" feel like he's going to the trenches in Afghanistan or something.
8 comments:
I LOVE What About Bob. You're cute Eliza. Sometimes I dream about a vacation with just my husband to somewhere with sandy beaches, but then I realize that I probably would have no fun at all because I would be worried sick about my children the whole time and miss them to tears. I don't think we'll ever stop worrying about or being attached to our children.
Aw, What About Bob. A definite favorite. I guess you could put Theo in a jar and tie it around yor neck. J/K.
Good luck with this. I get sad when I leave my cat to go on vacation. So I can't imagine being away from my child. I think it means your a good mom.
Well, Bonny and Harry were 6 and 4 before I could persuade your dad to go away for a weekend without them - and they had Alice and family to stay with too!! - so maybe I'm not such a good mom?
But I believe it started the day Bonny was about 3 weeks old and Mary was down from Ricks College. We were given tickets to Ballet West - which was about 6 blocks from our house at that time - and she offered to stay with Bonny while we went.
Your dad almost had to drag me there - and at intermission he wouldn't let me call home to see how things were going!
We got home - and Bonny had slept the entire time!! (She was colicky and cried all day most days - but slept very well at night - we did not weep when she slept all night - we rejoiced in the bliss of silence!!)
(And after she got over the colic, she was the world's BEST baby - hands down!)
And your dad always hated to go away without you guys because he felt that he was gone from you so often anyway.
But after that first weekend away, he became converted to the concept!!
Time away is good - for mother and baby!
I completely understand. I miss Owen so quickly when I am away from him. And, good for Matt. I don't know if Aaron would do that when Owen is so young.
You will go on vacation without your kids and worry that you will miss them, but you will have a great time and miss them just enough!
And I LOVE Fathers and Sons outings.
I had to leave Soren very early on in his life so I could finish up my degree. Then, when he was almost 2, I left for 5 days. I had such a fantastic break, felt more loved and appreciated on my return, and came to a full realization of how much my boys meant to me that I make it a point to leave my boys to fend for themselves every other year. I love it. You should give it a try :)
I still think I need to take baby steps first. Now that I have done one overnighter I know I can handle more. I was sad when Matt and Theo left--but then after awhile it was nice to be home all alone, I got lots of stuff done, AND I slept ALL night and didn't wake up until 7:30. I can definitely count on one hand the number of nights I have slept without waking in the past 4 months. I think part of that is that I had a bed all to myself--sad but true. I am a light sleeper nowadays.
And they had fun and it didn't sound like it was too hard for Matt, except maybe setting up and taking down the tent, but he got help with that. Theo is pretty independent. I guess they had so much fun that Matt forgot to take pictures, even though he was instructed to.
There were other factors that led me to bring Theo over Memorial Day, such as the fact that Matt is gone until pretty late during the week and I didn't want to have to find a babysitter for 2 days. Also the fact that Matt could probably use a break too--and also that it will be fun for Theo to see cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. We have made lots and lots of trips together and he is always a stellar traveler. Here's hoping he keeps that up.
I found a great solution to getting the alone time without being away from the kids so you don't miss them. Sitting upstairs in your room reading while your husband takes care of the kids, so you can still hear them and feel like you're near, but then you get your alone time. I had that today, but now I'm worried I'm going to be addicted to being "alone."
Also, when we first moved Scott into the other room I felt so sad! But then I told myself that I was not going to be one of those moms that always had to have her kids in her room with her, that I need to enjoy that time to myself and with my husband. Hmmm. That helped a little bit.
Post a Comment