Time Out

Interesting how when I doll out a Time Out it is met with all sorts of tears, objections and commotion. If someone told me to go sit somewhere quiet and chill out for a bit I would be thrilled! Needless to say, it doesn't happen as often as I'd like. But last week Matt and I got a few days to ourselves in Las Vegas. A Time Out for grown-ups! As the saying goes, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Here is a sampling of the wild and crazy things we left behind in the city of lights:

* uninterrupted conversations / conversations that do not revolve around poop and giggles
* sleeping
* sleeping in
* eating bread at the table with zero regard for errant wheat crumbs
* showers, guaranteed every day
* going out...in the evening
* hiking without hauling another person in a backpack
* dangly earrings (sometimes worn on home turf, but never without risk of a lobe detachment)

It was wonderful.
Almost as soon as we arrived home Matt had to turn around and fly to China the very next day. I miss him. We all do. ButI try to remind myself that good things do come out of all this travel:

* Liam has superior exposure to Geography. Whereas I couldn't find my way out of a paper bag without google directions, Liam is studying a world map and I think he kind of gets it. Either that, or he likes it when I sing that "I'm the map" Dora song. Either way, I guess.
* Grandparent time! There are not enough adjectives to describe how wonderful grandparents are. My Mom and Dad took on the challenge of babysitting the kids last week (and survived to tell about it!). And in a phone call last week with Matt's parents (in which I was particularly overwraught about 3 back-to-back trips and recovering from the flu) they quickly put a plan in motion to come stay with me and the kids this week.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. I say it takes a village to keep the parents of that child sane every now and then. So Thank You, Mom and Dad, and Mom and Dad. We are so very grateful.