| Monkeying Around |
We made a spur of the moment decision on Sunday to go and visit our families. It’s only a two hour drive to get there, but we seem to have forgotten that having a kid in tow means there is no such thing as spur of the moment anything anymore.
The amount of gear that one must pack to accommodate the needs of a baby for an overnight trip is out of this world. It’s not just the essentials either, it’s all the backup stuff that must get packed just in case.
You never know when an extra jar of peas will come in handy because, oh, I don’t know, maybe the first eight jars of food might explode under the pressure of all the baby equipment in our trunk. And maybe Nate really will need four extra sleepers just in case he decides to have the mother of all assplosions not once, but four times.
And you never know, frozen breast milk might come in handy just in case my breasts decide to shrivel up and fall off while were out of town. It could happen.
Once we finally arrived at my parent’s house, Mark and I decided to leave Nate with them for a few hours and go out for dinner. Alone. Without a kid in tow. As a husband and a wife.
After putting Nate to bed, I changed into some clothes that were not made of yoga pants, reminded my parents what the number for 9-1-1 was just in case they forgot, and got in the car with Mark and left. As in, drove away without Nate. And honestly, it felt kind of good.
After dinner we took a drive to our old teenage stomping ground. It is a very scenic drive along a lake and there are a lot of spots where you can pull off the road and park your car to sit and gaze out at the water. Or, if you are a teenager, have sex in the back seat of your parent’s car. Which Mark and I may have done once or twice or whenever my mom let me drive her Cadillac. Because we are classy like that.
We found a quiet spot to park and sat and watched the sun set into the night behind a romantic sky of orange and purple. After a few moments of silence, Mark shifted his gave over to me and clasped his hand around mine. My heart instantly started to beat faster because I recognized the sly mantis gleam in his eye and knew exactly what he was thinking.
Playground!
It was the best carefree night of monkeying around we've had in ages.Labels: All in the Family, It's All About Me, Mark |
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How awesome is that?
I'm glad you guys were able to get some couple time.
And, soon enough, you will be a pro at packing quickly. It just gets easier as you go along.
I thought it was going to get all x-rated there for a minute!
Next step, leave Nate with the grampsies for the night or, better yet, the weekend. I guess you might have to wait until he's weaned for that though. Took us nearly 4 years to swing a couple of nights sans enfants. You guys are off to a great start. Yay!
It gets easier to pack a) the more often you do it and b) the older the baby. Now I go a two-hour drive to my mom's all the time and hardly bring a thing. Plus, you know, they generally have stores there. But I know where you are coming from. :) I remember packing the breast pump, all manner of foods and bibs, etc. The main thing I bring now is the booster seat and I even bought a second one to take and leave there for next time. Just get stuff at the thrift store for a few dollars even.
I remember sex in the car...and playing in playgrounds without a baby in tow...and sex in playgrounds...um, maybe I should have kept that to myself (it was AT NIGHT though, no kids around!)!
By the third baby, you pack two diapers and a couple of bottles for a weekend trip! You figure if he gets his clothes dirty, he can just go in a diaper. If he needs more diapers, somehow get your mom to go buy some, and then you save money, too!I don't miss overpacking at all!
Unfortunately for us, all of Trey's and my old romance spots have all been torn down or redone as Charleston is growing and improving. It's just not the same. I do love me some playgrounds, though, and they're oh so much more fun w/o the kids!
Oh my...try flying across the US (or Canada) to visit a relative with no baby items. We had a choo-choo train of luggage and gear strapped together running to catch that flight out after running late from packing all that gear!!
I read this post to my husband and when I got to the part about you going out, he said, "Oh no, that was a mistake. Your kid might end up in public in their underwear." The last time that my inlaws came out to visit, Logan was being potty trained. I had him in a shirt and underwear and left him with my inlaws while I ran to the grocery store. The decided to take him to the park but they failed to notice that he didn't have any shorts on!!
Sounds delightful! Yay for babysitting grandparents!
Good for you for getting away without the little one. And good for you for not feeling guilty about it too! Love the pic too - how funny!
A night out. How wonderful! I admire that you had the strength left to go out after the day. We are always so tired when we make it out that we have to struggle to stay out(always worth it, tho). I like reading the posts about packing with kids. Yes, it gets much easier. We have two now and there are times I go on short trips with them and forget to take anything! No diapers wipes, change of clothes. Somehow we always survive.
Now you are ready to join us for Durham Mom's Night Out on Wednesdays!!!
Oh man, I think I know the spot you mean. Except substitute "Mom's Cadillac" for "Dad's minivan". Good times!
Ah ha! Welcome to parenthood. Your evening sounds almost exactly like something Coffeehusband and I would have done and probably did when our first child was a baby. Exact all the way down to reminiscing about the sex that may or may not have happened in the back seat of my parents Cadillac!!!! LOL
My Mum is a star and she has a lot of baby guff (porta cot, highchair, sheets, toys) which means when we travel to see her all we need to take is clothes and nappies - that way the dog doesn't have to travel on the roof rack. I spent my first night away from the Young Man last weekend. I survived - just!
Silly outtings are the best!!
Sadly I have to leave Aiden 4 days a week (luckily with my grandma) to work. Because of that G and I haven't had a night out since he was born, I just can't imagine leaving him at a time I'm lucky enough to be with him. Maybe we'll get around to it. Like when he's 4. :-)
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Tuesday, September 04, 2007
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Gina : September 04, 2007 
