And Next Year's Vacation Will Be. . .

Next year I am not bringing the children with me on vacation. Hot Guy can fly out to his parents' house with them, while I take a leisurely drive BY MYSELF. That will be my vacation. Alone in the car for hours on end, blasting my own music and not having to share my M&M's (a candy so popular on this trip that Lovebug taught himself to say it). After spending a few days at my in-laws' (and after investing in an iPhone so I can blog while in the country), I will then begin my leisurely drive back home. Upon returning, I will rest and organize the house until Hubby flies back with the kids.

Then life will get back to normal and I will actually feel rested instead of stressed out. I cannot express how happy I am to be home, though. Being gone for more than two weeks is just too much. Though not for Ironflower - she was terribly disappointed when she found out that we would be sleeping at home and not at a hotel last night. She rebounded admirably when she remembered all the toys she has here at home though. Lovebug, after screaming fits in his car seat (though, really, by yesterday I was tempted to join him) and waking us all at un-Godly hours and generally being a serious challenge has morphed into the sweet little boy he can be.

I now understand why people take vacations WITHOUT their children. I never really did before. As a new mother, I heard about a mom of a three month old who went to the Caribbean for a week. I couldn't imagine wanting to be away from my newborn for so long (not to mention the lack of breastfeeding involved) and while I still can't imagine needing a vacation from a tiny baby, toddlers are a different matter all together. While I know that if Hot Guy and I did escape somewhere tropical we'd spend the whole time talking about the kids and imagining which sights they'd like best, I'm ready for the chance to miss them.