The Stay-Cation

Jamie's birthday often slips by without much notice. (Our oldest child was born on his birthday.) So, this year, we navigated the girls' birthdays (both in December) and I planned an evening for just Jamie. Granted, the day started with staggered holiday parties for room fulls of kindergartners (check out the "cool dad" who braved reading AND singing Christmas carols while the rest of us prepped for the craft), 2nd graders and two-year-olds, but then we entrusted our sweet children to their grandmother in the afternoon and...fled.

We checked into a nice local hotel (Yay for post-football season reduced rates!!) and quickly headed to our massages. Admittedly, an hour doesn't remove the stress of "crafting" with 2nd graders, but it was a great start! Dinner was a bit more eventful than we might have liked (I "murdered" a creepy crawly friend that joined us at the table.), but dinner ended up being free! Then, we relaxed at Piccolo's and enjoyed live jazz and watched some of the football coaching staff "recruit" and fellowship with prospective families. Then...we slept. No one came in needing help getting to the bathroom or complaining of a stuffy nose. And we slept in...until almost 8. That's not 5, not 6, not 7 but EIGHT!!! A buffet breakfast capped off the decadence, and we packed up and headed home.

Oh how I love time with my husband, and it's so hard to find alone time...focused time...these days. If you too are distracted...with kids, work, school, parents, sickness, etc...I encourage a stay-cation. Plan ahead and budget...do it!