Surprise Kid-Free Getaway!

On Saturday morning, I surprised Jenn via a clever poem that we were going away for the night sans babies.

She had been suggesting it for a few months but didn't think I was ready to be away from the girls. She even suggested it on Friday night. I blew her off convinced that she had somehow found out about my surprise. It had been a good 6 weeks in the making. Fortunately, I was completely wrong!

So, courtesy of my brother, Rob, babysitter extraordinaire, and his supporting cast of my parents, my brother, Michael, "adopted brother," Lennan, and my friend, Helen, Jenn and I headed off for some much-needed R&R. While I wish I could say that I happily skipped off, carefree, on our getaway, that wasn't the case. I tried to keep my anxiety in check. I had never left the girls for a night before. What if they wake in the night? What if they won't go back to sleep and keep my brother up all night? What if they get sick? What if they are horribly behaved? What if....? Kristen, at More Than Words wrote a blog entry last Friday about being a "helicopter mom." While reading it, I laughed because I could totally relate.

I had already written my brother a schedule/tip sheet when he called on Thursday to ask me to quickly jot down the girls' basic schedule. I could have easily written three pages, including every little detail to make his time "easier." That's the thing, I reminded myself. All of those little details make my day easier, but it doesn't mean that they are the only way of doing things. While some details might be important to share, it was also important for me to let him find his own way. Admittedly, it was (/is!) hard to tame my inner control freak.

Our ride down to Niagara-on-the-Lake was a bit tough for me. Fortunately, once we arrived and checked into the Prince of Wales, we had to rush off to the spa. It was just what we needed to truly relax. After a fantastic treatment, I was calm and comfortable. We wandered through the town for a bit and then headed back to our room to get ready for dinner. We had the most incredible dinner at Tiara Restaurant in the Queen's Landing hotel. If you're ever in Niagara-on-the-Lake, I highly recommend it! On Sunday, we had a great brunch and then walked around town a bit more. It was just what Jenn and I needed!

And, of course, the girls had a fantastic time at home with their uncles, grandparents and friends. Rob and the girls didn't even get up on Sunday morning until 7:45am! How civilized! He sent me the occasional text or picture to keep my anxiety at bay.

This definitely doesn't look like the face of a little girl missing her mommy!

It's funny because there is always so much talk about babies and their separation anxiety. What about the mother's separation anxiety? I think that I did well for my first time away from them and believe that Jenn would attest to that.

All in all, I think our getaway was a huge success. Jenn and I spent some quality time together with no little people vying for our attention. I would love to make it a more regular thing, but with twins it is tough. It takes a village to raise a child, the quote says. I guess it takes a city(?) to raise twins!