Finding Time for the Adult-Only Vacation
I’ve been dreaming about it for years. Me, on an island,
sitting on the beach, drinking something out of a pineapple, and enjoying the
wind and waves. Stoney is close by summoning the waiter to refill said drink in
pineapple. I don’t know who is more scantily clad, me or Stoney, but either
way, sun’s out, guns out, baby! It’s the
adult-only, couple’s vacation, and it has eluded us for several years now. I
travel for work, plan vacations for the kids, even had a girl trip or two, but
Stoney and I haven’t been on a vacation alone together since…well, our
honeymoon.
Houston. We have a problem.
Most know that Stoney is my ex-husband/boyfriend. When we
first discussed reconciling, we talked about what we thought went wrong. He
believed I didn’t pay enough attention to him. I believed that taking care of our
three children was a way of giving him attention. Round and round we went, but
we kept ending up in the same spot. We didn’t spend time with each other
anymore. Just the two of us.
Our family trip to D.C. |
Any couple will tell you that the dynamics of a marriage
change drastically when children enter the picture. The focus shifts from
marriage to parenting. And if anyone survives the first year of that first
child without seeing dead people due to sleep deprivation, you should call that
a win. But in the midst of all the organized chaos that is parenthood, there
are still expectations to be a couple.
There’s only one problem. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Our three kids have us running in three different directions
every day of the week. I can’t remember the last time I showered without interruption,
much less had time to take an uninterrupted weekend off. By the time I finish
writing down the instructions for the innocent victim who agreed to keep them,
I would need to take a nap. Who is going to take them everywhere they need to
go? Who’s going to be at their beck and
call whenever they need something? Who is going to take care of them like I
take care them?
No one. And, I’m going to have to learn that it’s okay.
The kids will be fine while we’re gone, right? No, they
probably won’t shower as much…wait, they don’t do that now. They might have to
miss a practice or a game because of logistics. But truth be told, they could
probably stand a little vacation of their own from their hectic schedules. A mom-and-dad-only trip may
be just what the doctor ordered for everyone.
We haven’t decided where we’re going or when, but I think we’re
getting closer to pulling the trigger. Maybe...
Any suggestions?