Escape and Return

This last weekend I escaped the madness that is my life.  I had a whole 48 hours with other adult women...no kids, no men, and no dirty dishes, laundry or kitchen floors.

It was bliss.  I went to bed around 11ish, slept until I woke up on my own (all the way to 7:30am).  My food was provided  and I didn't have to cook or clean up.  I sat down and ate my breakfast, chatted with grown ups, and then listened to Suze talk to us all about the very topics which have been on my mind for months, if not years!  Then, lunch happened just like breakfast.  No work on my part.

Then, and this was my own favorite part, I spent the next 5 hours straight alone. I read a book that was thought provoking, not just 6 pages illustrating one fairly simple sentence.  My brain fairly tingled with the excitement of seeing all of those big, beautiful words lined up on the pages.

Ok, so this is my wonderful weekend of refreshment.  Today, my personal reality came crashing back into my new found serenity.  I woke up to 3 little voices telling me, in unison, that they were starving.  Aaaannnd....I was off.  Only one big spill at breakfast. Baths lasted a good half an hour and only one bottle of soap was emptied, however the shower to rinse off all the extra soap ended in tears after someone turned the hot water up when I turned to get towels out.  All was good until lunch.  Lunch was a terrific 45 minutes of me yelling, "Eat your lunch or go take a nap", while the kids screamed back that they didn't want these sandwiches today.  We were only 10 minutes late to school, which meant I got to go in and show off my unshaven legs, makeupless face, and the haircut that has caused me to rearrange my plans and stay home for the next few weeks.  We skype with my mom, while nursing the baby, attempting to put 2 kids down for naps, and eating my own lunch.  The next few hours are a hazy blur of wet pants, piles of rocks being brought in the house, catching my children as they jump without abandon into my arms, craft time, and finally supper.

The kids are now all tucked in bed.  I have to admit that this weekend was pretty amazing, and I would not trade that time for thinking and resting...but I am also pretty thrilled to be home with this house full of chaos and I would never trade this for anything.