As I am spending time adjusting to life with 5 beautiful children, I didn’t want my blog to just whither up and die, ha! So I reached out to some lovely bloggers and they jumped on the opportunity to share their hearts and lives with us! Today we have NJ from A Cookie Before Dinner and she is sharing the joys of a momcation. Really, I don’t even know what that is?! But now I think I need one!!! Enjoy her post and please show her some love!
My husband deserves a gold star. No, a gold star won’t do. Maybe a medal or a trophy. I’m not sure. But he is amazing. A few weeks a go he took our preschooler (a boy) to his mother’s beach house. He gifted me with a momcation. A 3 day and 4 night all inclusive stay in my own home without my kid.
To say it was amazing would be the understatement of the year. To say that I didn’t miss them like crazy would be a complete lie. But in the end, I learned so much about myself and who I am as a mother. Also, I didn’t have to worry about wiping anyone else’s hiney but my own. Awesomesauce.
Here are a few highlights from my momcation. I’d show you the slideshow of photographs, but there aren’t any. I was too busy
I sat a spell on my neighbors porch swing, watching the nightly parade of puppies and strollers go by. I drank lemonade and participated in conversation with grown ups.
I cleaned my house. And reveled in the fact that for three days, it stayed that way.
I stayed up way too late immersed in a good book. And slept the morning away. Then, I drank a full cup of coffee while it was STILL HOT. Still hot people!
I called a friend just to talk. We got to speak uninterrupted for an hour.
I went to brunch with my girlfriends.
I pondered the irony of our neighborhood ice cream truck playing “All Come All Ye Faithful” as he drove down our streets. Dude might just be brilliant.
I kept the cat alive, but killed the strawberry plants.
I got a hair cut and took myself out to dinner. I ate the most amazing grass fed beef burger of my life. I didn’t have to share my fries.
I filled a friend’s love tank by sending her out for an hour of kid free errand time. She repaid me with central air and cookies. I sat with her preschooler and learned more about My Little Ponies than I thought was humanly possible.
I spent several hours working guilt free on my blog. In fact, I spent the entire weekend not feeling guilty about anything. I know I can’t be the only one who is caught up in the cycle of mom guilt- that one where I feel bad for sitting and playing with the preschooler and the laundry sits unfolded. And then when I fold the laundry I feel badly that I’m not playing. Vicious cycle, vicious.
When they returned, I was stoked to see them. I came back to the work of motherhood refreshed and recharged. I didn’t waste a single minute of their time away (well, except for those few hours on facebook but let’s just call those relationship building).
For those of you wondering, they had a blast at the beach house with grandma. I heard stories of late night ice cream runs, too much screen time, and an epic scavenger hunt on the beach looking for sea life. It was just as beneficial for them to get away with out me as it was for me to be home alone. A win for everyone.
Have you taken a momcation? Do you dream of one?
What would you do with your time?
Tell me in the comments below!
Such an interesting read. I felt her excitement and delight with her momcation. 🙂
It was basically amazing! I had A BLAST!
This is awesome! I think my hubs needs to read this. 😉
Show it to him! It was a great reset for me, and it did our entire family a world of good! I hope to take another one soon, but I’m 33 weeks pregnant and not sure when I might get one. Sigh, if only my husband could lactate.
As much as I miss my kids when I am away from them, I know momcations can be so beneficial. Your husband sounds like a saint and good for you for jumping in and enjoying yourself!
He is a saint! And he had my MIL’s help. I was a twinge jealous of their beach time, but then I remembered how awesome it was to be HOME ALONE.
My momcations typically involve me taking one of the kids to an overnight activity of theirs, which is not a momcation at all. For some reason, the people around me see it as a break. Yeah right….I get great joy out of driving the highways for hours on end while my kids stare at a tiny screen hanging from the SUV’s ceiling. And don’t get me started on staying in the hotel. That is no fun at all.
Not sure what I would actually do at home, alone, for three days…
I was a gymnast, so a lot of my mom’s vacations were spent the same way- schlepping me to and fro to various clinics and meets. She always seemed to have a good time, but I think she would have enjoyed a few days home alone too!
That sounds absolutely amazing. My husband is taking 2 days off work in a few weeks to stay home with our 2 children while I go to a conference. He seems to think I am going on a relaxing vacation and does not realize that I would love for nothing more than to be able to stay home and do what I need to uninterrupted for even just one day.
It was amazing. Everyone got just what they needed out of the trip. I was a little nervous for them- the trip is about 3 hours round trip and my preschooler isn’t exactly the BEST car rider. Either my husband lied through his teeth to preserve the sanctity of my sanity, or they really did have an epic time!
I have laughed my way through this entire post! STILL HOT, PEOPLE!
I’m glad I could make you laugh Christie! Before then, I can’t remember the last time I drank a cup of coffee while it was still hot!
I am so looking forward to my babymoon for this same reason– I told my husband I didn’t care if we stayed home or went away, as long as I don’t have to wrangle any children. 🙂
Yay for a babymoon! I hope you guys have so much fun! Here’s to having to wipe no one’s nose but your own!