A week's perspective

I was out of town this whole last week at a convention for work. It's one I've attended for probably 8 or 9 years. I got out of the one last year because Elle was only about 12 or 13 weeks old and I had only been back from maternity leave for 5 minutes or so. The year before, we just had Ali and I shortened my trip. I flew out Tuesday morning and came back Thursday evening, so really my husband only had her for three days.

This year I didn't have any good excuse not to go (I should preface this by saying my boss and his wife left their four children at home with the grandparents, so my little two, home with Daddy, weren't on their radar as unmanageable) and after missing the trade show last year, I really did feel like I was behind the whole rest of the year and had missed out on the details of so much.

So we called in back up and my mother was around Monday and Tuesday. My mother in law was around Tuesday evening through Friday morning.

I flew out Monday morning and came back Friday afternoon.

Five.

Whole.

Days!

Usually these trade shows involve pre dinner parties, dinner parties and after parties and in previous years (i.e. in my twenties) I would participate in all happily and enthusiastically. I'm sure there are still some stories out there...that I don't want to remember.

This year I still went to the dinners, but managed to skip out on all the after parties and went to bed, sober, at a reasonable time every night except one. That one was a late night, but still sober.

And each morning I got up.

In my hotel room.

BY MYSELF.

And enjoyed a quiet cup of coffee.

BY MYSELF.

And took a shower.

BY MYSELF.

It was a little piece of heaven.

It was also a whole heck of a lot of work, long days, tired feet, sore back and missing my babies every single minute of the day...except for about an hour each morning. Where I reveled in the quiet.

When I got back on Friday I picked up the girls from school a little early and it was wonderful. The best reception I could have asked for. Ali kept squealing 'You Came Back!' As if she were worried I wouldn't. And Elle ran to me, stopped short, looked at me, flung herself around my neck and cried. It  was so sweet. It was like she couldn't quite deal, it was too much, she was so happy to see me, tears.

And then this morning:

Elle knocked my coffee cup and dumped it all down the front of me.

And then, while I was in the shower, Ali opened the door and asked to join me.

Yep. I'm home!!

I truly missed those two little silly gooses. but I think every mom needs a few days of quiet coffee and solo showers.