A year and a half ago one of our good friends approached us and asked us if we’d consider going to Bermuda to celebrate his 40th birthday.
It took about a split second for us to say yes and within a few weeks there were six couples confirmed to go.
It seems like we made those plans forever ago. Yet now, as I sit here writing, I’m staring at our suitcases piled in the corner and finding it hard to believe that we’re heading to the airport in six short hours.
And I am exhausted.
I should never have underestimated the amount of work that it actually takes to go away without children for an entire week. The kids will be well taken care of between our regular sitter and different sets of grandparents. With that being said, it is no small task to get your house ready to have other people living in it.
Every lunch and supper has been planned, the list is on the fridge and the groceries required are in the house. Everyone has their food instructions and the grandmothers have been briefed on the available breakfast and snack options.
The house is clean, every bit of laundry is done and all the beds have been changed. It almost makes me just want to stay in the house and send the kids away for the week. I mean is there ever a time when the house is clean and all of the laundry done and put away at the same time? I can’t remember this perfect storm of cleanliness at any point in the recent past.
And then there’s the activities. One daughter has her last night of soccer on Monday and must wear a shirt so she can hand in her jersey. We’re not sure if Monday is our other daughter’s last night so she better wear a shirt under her jersey just in case. If it doesn’t happen to be her last night, we’re actually on tap for snacks on Wednesday so if there is soccer, then Nana is going to need to remember to bring the two boxes of yogurt tubes in the garage freezer. Oh and the swimming banquet is Thursday night. It’s a potluck so we need to make sure Nana brings two dozen rolls.
I’ve written before about our little man’s peanut allergy. Going away for a week also means we need to make sure everyone is extra comfortable with the epi-pen and that they understand that his bag with it and his allergy medication in it needs to go everywhere he does.
It’s amazing how much is involved in prepping other people for what you do on a daily basis. It has been more exhausting trying to think about everything required for the week than it actually is to just do it. Now that we’re ready and our plane leaves in a few short hours, I finally feel like I can let myself get excited.
With any luck, by the time you’re reading this I’ll be sitting on a beach holding a girly drink in one hand and a cheesy magazine in the other. We’ve never been away from the kids for an entire week and I know I’m going to miss them like crazy. On the flip side, I have no doubt that some uninterrupted sleeps, no responsibilities and some alone time with my husband is going to be great for this exhausted Mama’s soul.
Deanna is a Mom of three, wife, marketer and blogger – lover of travel, morning coffee, family time, belly laughs, good friends and uninterrupted showers! Follow her on twitter @DeannaCMiller