So! So so so! This weekend I went on a mini-vacation without Paul or the kids. I went to see my brother (Erik), sister-in-law (Anna), sister-in-law’s sister (Lottie), and niece (Niestle). First there was the mini-roadtrip to get there. I brought with me CDs, a large coffee, and a 9×13 pan full of mini-cupcakes I made with the leftover cake batter from the bake sale cake plus the second bake sale cake I had to make when the first one was uncooked in the middle. (I got cocky and thought I didn’t need the toothpick test. OH HUBRIS.)
I see nothing funny about these CD choices.
John Denver is awesome,
and so is Blink-182.
(For those of you who have the Blink-182 album and are wondering why the, er, “nurse” is on the inside of the case instead of on the outside: I turned the cover around because I prefer to look at young men in boxer shorts.)
I arrived mid-afternoon, and Erik stayed home with Niestle while Anna, Lottie, and I went to a big musical Christmas variety show, in the kind of theater with enormous high ceilings with, like, nymphs painted on them, with gilt and velvet EVERYWHERE, and a wreath the size of a minivan. We had a wonderful time. One highlight: at one point there was a sober recitation of The Life of Jesus: he was born, he was a carpenter (wait, we seem to be veering away from the Christmas part of this story), and when he was 30 years old the tide of popular opinion turned against him and he was killed but rose again (Easter, this is the EASTER story now). Out of the darkness, the incredulous voice of a little girl in our row: “He DIED??” Another highlight: ACTUAL LIVE CAMELS. Another highlight: muscular young men wearing snug bright pink. Another highlight: The Twelve Days of Christmas with chicken-dancing for the “three French hens” part.
Then we went home, and Niestle was already asleep, and so the four of us grown-ups had tacos and wine and mini-cupcakes. The plan was to play Pictionary, but after my brother found out he’d have to be partners with me again, we somehow never got around to it, and instead stayed up until midnight talking about all the ways our respective parents neglected and mistreated us (KIDDING, kidding, parents who read this blog!). Erik and I totally trumped Anna and Lottie with our Childhood Illness stories: we both got croup a lot; Erik has a systemic poison ivy story and a near-fatal asthma attack story; I have a nowhere-near-as-good-but-still-pretty-good pneumonia story and a tonsillectomy story, plus I can add the Big Sister Cam to his stories. Anna and Lottie were like, “Let’s see…I think we must have had some colds.” WE WIN. (So it’s good we did this instead of Pictionary, because um.)
Then I slept until ten in the morning. TEN.
TENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN.
We discussed brunch. Erik and Anna said we could do a Mexican scramble, or we could do French toast, or we could have Belgian waffles. We weighed the options indecisively, and then Lottie said, “I’m in the mood for sweet AND savory—so why don’t we have the Mexican scramble and then finish off the cupcakes?” SOLD.
I left reluctantly, but it was a very pretty day for a drive home. I listened to the radio and felt a leeeeetle silly being a mid/late-thirties mother-of-five singing vigorously “We will never be! never be! anything but loud and nitty-gritty, dirty little freaks!,” but not as silly as you might expect (slash-hope).
I love Pink, and I DOUBLE LOVE how she reportedly told the papparazzi she just wanted to be left alone in her pregnancy “to gain her weight in peace”. AMEN.
I don’t think I’ve gone on a long car ride by myself for… six years! Fun!
And the let’s eat the scramble AND the cupcakes? Those are my kind of people.
What a fun vacation! And I hate how they throw in the Easter story at Christmas. Talk about a freaking bummer, dude. See the cutesy little babykins? Well, he’s going to be tortured and murdered and ITS ALL YOUR FAULT. Nice Christmas story, folks. Bah Humbug. I literally had to tell the daycare yes on the nativity, yes on Santa and elves, but please, no dead guys for my 4-year-old’s Christmas, OK?
And I love the Pink song tooo and HOLYGOODGRIEF she’s pregnant? I did not know this.
Sounds AWESOME! It’s so fun to get away without kidlets every once in a while. And I too am soooo guilty of being a middle aged (it kills me to type that) lady singing young person music at the top of my lungs, but darnit, it’s fun!
Your mini-vacation sounds lovely and makes me smile.
I spent my Saturday BRA SHOPPING WITH A PRESCHOOLER FOURTH CIRCLE OF HELL. But it ended up being notsobad.
We’re all dirty little freaks at heart.
Sleeping until ten . . . that would be heaven
That sounds wonderful! How I wish that my brother lived within driving distance! (Well, within REASONABLE driving distance.)
Oh, man, just riding in the car ALONE is marvelous. Especially on a pretty-for-driving day. I think one thing I’ve really failed as a parent is getting away enough. I’m just recently realizing this. As a result, I’m getting away more and feeling so refreshed and energized each time I do.
This sounds LOVELY. Except now I could really go for a cupcake.
I’m with you on the music, and don’t you DARE feel silly! I am in my late 30s, drive a mini-van, and am known to blast Eminem. I love the incredulous looks I get from those youngsters who pass by.
Sounds like a lovely trip–good for you!
The other day I went to download music for my Ipod from a list I have been compiling for a while (Procrastination much? YES.), and when I started searching for the music to download it was already downloaded. From My Teen. Moral of the story? We may be getting old, but we are still not That Old. :)
Wow. Ten.
Jealous.
Well, I’m jealous on all counts.
1. Time without kids!
2. Cupcakes!
3. Music in the car!
4. Being in the car ALONE!! (I live in the city, and almost never get to drive anywhere, never mind by myself. When we do drive, it’s as a family, and unless I’m the one actually driving, it’s kid music. There’s only so much Laurie Berkner a mom can take.)
Wow that sounds like a fantastic time. I am delighted for you, a much deserved break. My kind of break!!
Every summer since I was 19 (26 now) I go on an obnoxious semi-cross country drive to visit family members. Everybody is always “ohhh ahhh so brave, so scary, I don’t know how you do it, you’re my hero.” to which in my head I reply “best vacation everrrr” I love it! So glad you had fun!
Hey! We have the same little green Target purse!
It sounds like you had a magnificent day! You deserve it.
I love it when I see people singing along in their cars! And I heard, while listening to satellite radio, that Pink is going to name her child Jamieson if it is a boy.
Glad you had a nice me-cation.
I love that you got to do this. All us moms deserve this kind of me-cation once in a while. Congratulations. I love that you spent it with your siblings too. I can’t think of anyone whom I’d rather spend time with more. In fact, I traveled by myself this past weekend too to visit my brother and sister…in different cities too! It was dreamy. I ate in bed along watching the Food Network. Bliss. Good for you!
That sounds lovely. Even at 4:08 in the morning. When I can’t sleep.
That’s saying something.