Getaway

Mike arranged a getaway for the two of us for the first time since we've had children. He asked both sets of parents to take the kids while we stayed at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria for two nights. I've always considered it the ultimate selfishness to expect our parents to take on our responsibilities. They've already raised their children and deserve to just enjoy being grandparents. But this mini vacation was important to Mike, and I knew I had to submit. I knew Noah would be very sad, and leaving them felt like cutting off my right arm. I worried, prayed, and cried a lot in anticipation of the weekend. I had several realizations that caused me to come to a certain peace about it. I realized that maybe I was the one being selfish by keeping the kids all to myself, and maybe the grandparents would actually WANT the kids overnight. I realized that maybe Noah needed this opportunity to grow and see that he will be ok without me. And I realized that since it was so hard for me to even think about letting go, maybe I needed to too. I started thinking about two nights in a hotel with a pool and a hot tub, reading a book, sleeping late, talking with my husband uninterrupted, not having to cook or clean, and I started warming up to the idea. In the end, the kids did great and had a good time on their first sleepovers with Grandma & Grandpa and Nana & Papa, and Mike and I enjoyed a fabulous time together.