A recent weekend away for a friend’s wedding provided the perfect excuse to travel sans enfants. Basically, they weren’t invited! This was an extremely insightful decision of the bride and groom as it removed any of the ‘will we, won’t we take them with us’ decision-making and made sure all their friends were in great form, having left all their responsibilities behind.
Of course, most of the week beforehand was spent packing endless amounts of stuff for the children’s mini break to nana and granddads, on top of which I had a last minute dilemma trying to find some suitably weddingy shoes which my usually be-slippered feet would be able to tolerate for several hours of drunken dancing. Nevertheless, the prospect of 48 hours of freedom, FREEDOM, made it all worthwhile and I was filled with childish glee as our plane sped down the runway.
It was fantastic to catch up with old friends and have proper – uninterrupted – conversations. Of course, having merrily left the children at home, it wasn’t long before we started swapping stories and photos of our various broods! How fantastic to see friendships forged as naive twenty year olds over cheap cider, Britpop and kebabs being cemented through our perceived wisdom and shared experiences as parents.
I was thrilled to be able to go to the toilet alone. I only had a very small handbag to carry. I could go up and down steps unhindered. I managed to eat a full meal and enjoy every mouthful and didn’t have anything spilt on me. It was wonderful to just be me.
The childish freedom of that 48 hours in Neverland will, of course, fade far too quickly as I slip back through the nursery window, kick off my party shoes, pick up my slippers and start cooking tea. But I will most certainly be going back sometime soon.
I may be responsible and sensible mummy to my children, but my inner Peter Pan isn’t quite ready to grow up just yet.
Of course, most of the week beforehand was spent packing endless amounts of stuff for the children’s mini break to nana and granddads, on top of which I had a last minute dilemma trying to find some suitably weddingy shoes which my usually be-slippered feet would be able to tolerate for several hours of drunken dancing. Nevertheless, the prospect of 48 hours of freedom, FREEDOM, made it all worthwhile and I was filled with childish glee as our plane sped down the runway.
It was fantastic to catch up with old friends and have proper – uninterrupted – conversations. Of course, having merrily left the children at home, it wasn’t long before we started swapping stories and photos of our various broods! How fantastic to see friendships forged as naive twenty year olds over cheap cider, Britpop and kebabs being cemented through our perceived wisdom and shared experiences as parents.
I was thrilled to be able to go to the toilet alone. I only had a very small handbag to carry. I could go up and down steps unhindered. I managed to eat a full meal and enjoy every mouthful and didn’t have anything spilt on me. It was wonderful to just be me.
The childish freedom of that 48 hours in Neverland will, of course, fade far too quickly as I slip back through the nursery window, kick off my party shoes, pick up my slippers and start cooking tea. But I will most certainly be going back sometime soon.
I may be responsible and sensible mummy to my children, but my inner Peter Pan isn’t quite ready to grow up just yet.
it's always great to have a break and they love you so much more when you get home don't they?
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how quickly life returns to normal when your cherished time's up! Glad you enjoyed yourself though.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't gree more, your kid free time sounds wonderful, hope you get another trip sometime soonx
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lovely weekend, bet it feels a long time ago already! I hope for a similar trip soon!
ReplyDelete