R&R

I just got back from three days in sunny Orlando with the girls from Myrtle Beach. Okay, to clarify, as Sarah says they are not girls, but yes, women. Also, none of them are actually from Myrtle Beach, they are just the women that we always go to Mrytle Beach with (yes, I know I just ended a sentence with a preposition). Are you up to speed now?

Anywho, we spent a wonderful day on Friday at the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. The weather was nothing short of fantastic and the lines were not long at all. We ate our way all around the world, it was delicious. I love the Food and Wine Festival and want to go back every year. Charlie doesn't like it as much and that's why this year we went without him. It was pretty weird being at Disney without any kids or a stroller. I haven't been there without a stroller in over seven years. It seemed like we were walking so fast and we didn't have to weave in and out of anybody. The only sad thing was we didn't have anywhere to put our packages. In fact, we weren't really sure what to do with them. We almost rented a wheel chair just so everybody could rest every once in awhile and we would have somewhere to hang our bags. In the end I just brought a good sized shoulder bag that did the trick.

On Saturday we shopped and shopped. I tried not to shop, because I have been doing that a lot lately, so instead I played the game, "how much money can you make your friend spend?". It's a great game. Basically, you encourage your friends to buy things, clothes, shoes, whatever, so you don't feel so bad about the amount of money that you are spending. We also have a "who spent the most money?" contest, and after every store declare who the current winner is (there, I did it again). Luckily that day I was the big loser.

Overall, we had a great time. Lots of eating and shopping and eating some more. We were going to hit a movie but we ran out of time. I got at least eight hours of sleep both nights and came home rejuvinated. Charlie took great care of the kids and they all had a wonderful time.

So why am I not so, so happy? I don't know, I should be. I got away for the weekend and the house didn't fall apart. In fact, it looked just about how I left it, which is a big deal. I'm glad everything went well, because that means that I can go away again. But that's where I'm having the issue. When Charlie is gone for the weekend, it's always a nightmare. I'm so tired and the kids are cranky and everybody misses him. When I'm gone, they are so happy that they are with Charlie they don't even care I'm gone.

Yes, I know they love me, but they love Charlie more. Or at least they act like they do. Maybe because he is more fun, that has a lot to do with it, but also because they just don't see him as much. When they're with him they play. He is so great about playing with them. When they are with me we are rushing everywhere, going from activity to activity, and when we are home I'm trying to make dinner or do laundry or something. I'm not a fun mom, just Mom.

I'm sure I'm a broken record, you've heard this before. I'm okay with it, it's just that sometimes it makes me sad. Years from now when my kids are my age, what are they going to remember? How are they going to think of me? Are they going to have fond memories of me in their childhood or is Mom just going to be on the sidelines while Dad is the main attraction?

Right now I'm too tired to deal with it, and that's part of my problem. Give it some time and the fun mom will come out again. I know she's in there, she just covered with piles of dirty clothes.