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Sunday, October 12, 2008
Momcation was fantastic … except for that food poisoning
Have you taken a momcation? Do you like to go with girlfriends or your husband? Did you miss the kids or were you just happy to be away?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I had been dreaming of my first momcation for months, and it was everything that I had hoped for … well, except for that slight case of food poisoning that lasted most of the trip.
The food poisoning prevented me from having cocktails and from dancing the night away at the hotel’s nightclub (That was OK though, the club was pretty cheesy!), but it didn’t stop me from achieving my core goals of sleeping and lying in the sun.
My college girlfriend and fellow mom Keith and I had planned to spend a quiet weekend in Hilton Head. We planned to leave on a Friday afternoon and return on a Monday evening.
Our plans were low-key. We just wanted to doze off on the beach without worrying that our children were drowning nearby. We wanted to eat dinner after 5 p.m. — a frequent serving time at both our homes. And we wanted to eat some seafood, imbibe a few cocktails and forget for a little while all the responsibilities we had at home.
We had a slight issue actually getting out of Atlanta. Keith’s husband had a case in court and wasn’t sure when he’d be done. So my husband agreed to watch all six kids — ages ranging from 18 months to 10 years — so we could get on our way.
We left the six kids playing on the swing set out back — kissed them all goodbye and pretty much ran for the car. (I was in such a hurry to get out there I forgot to even kiss my poor husband!)
We woke up Saturday morning at our leisure and without little people jumping on our beds. What a joy it was not to have to drag a giant bag, cooler or sand toys to the beach. We grabbed our Coke Zeros, our towels and a little reading material, and we were set for the day.
Keith showed up to the beach with a book about the history of architecture. I came armed with three gossip rags and about eight catalogs. She named my collection “Mom Porn,” and we passed it back and forth lying by the ocean, discussing the celebrities before I dozed off in the warm sun.
That night, we got what we thought was some amazing seafood. Although on later reflection it would appear my mahi-mahi had a little something extra added — like an illness-inducing bacteria. I was sick for the next two days, but any mother knows she’d rather suffer at the beach than at home caring for three children.
Besides not planning on food poisoning, I also hadn’t anticipated missing my kids as much. I knew I would miss my 18-month old and worry about her care. We had never been apart for more than a few hours and she had only stopped nursing about two months before. I knew it would tough for us to be separated.
I wasn’t worried at all about my 5- and 7-year old. My husband is a very good daddy and is completely capable of feeding, entertaining and caring for their needs.
I called from the restaurant (the one that got me sick) on Saturday night to say good-night to the children. As soon as Rose got on the phone and started telling me about their trip to the Coke museum that day and riding the Marta, I started crying. I missed their little voices much more than I had expected.
I worried before we took the trip that two days wasn’t going to be long enough, but we were definitely ready to come home. The baby fared fine without me — although we had a little re-training to do after I returned. Apparently, Daddy let the baby sleep with him every night, and he showed her where the cookie container is hidden.
When I walked in the door, my son gave me a giant hug and the baby didn’t want to leave my lap. I sat and rocked her for at least an hour. She snuggled against my chest and sucked her thumb completely content. Rose made me multiple welcome home signs and letters telling me how much she missed and loved me.
I have to say the best part of the momcation wasn’t the extra sleep or the walks on the beach, but the homecoming.
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