First, the photo to the side with the girls? yes, I idiotically called it "girls.jpg" So Google searches of "girls in panties" are showing my kids? Hello? I think I need to rename it. Worse, people are coming to my blog even after they do the search and it is kind of clear this is a BLOG. Of a MOM! Sheesh.
Anyway, as we were leaving work yesterday, Jay booked a room for Austin, TX. There is the winter American Astronomical Society meeting there. I can also meeting some bloggers if I go. However, when we got home, Jay’s parents called. They had promised to come and watch the kids for us back in the summer. They booked a house in Arizona and the house required them to take the whole month of January. So they can’t watch the girls.
Jay and I took a step back. We have three choices:
- Ask my parents
- Just I go
- no body goes
The problem with 1. is that mom was just tested and found to have a genetic marker for clotting issues. If you are new here, last November, mom developed blot clots in her lungs and spent a week in ICU. Now if she travels, she must take 2 shots of heparin a day. The shots are $500 each, and she has to pay the first $3000 for the year out of pocket. In addition, heparin is a blood thinner. Boston is pretty darn cold in January. They have already canceled coming up to visit in Christmas because of the weather and the shots. I don’t want to ask them.
The problem with the other two choices are that Jay and I were looking for some alone time. We need it. But, I would really not object to some time off of being mom. I might still go, alone and Jay stay home with the kids. There is a high energy meeting in LA in the spring and we should be able to go to that sans kids. In addition, we are planning on the Space engineering meeting in, oh, Marseilles France in June.(with the kids).
I think back to the time when I would just say "hey! Let’s go to this meeting!" and Jay and I would sign up, prepare some science, schmooze and get work done all over the world. Or I would just come along, like the year I spent my birthday driving around Corsica.
But this is a different life. And we have to plan on that.
**UPDATE** screw it. I will go alone. Imagine, time in a big bed ALONE….
I can certainly empathize with your dilemma, since our nearest family is 6,000 miles and an ocean away. Do you have a trusted babysitter you could consider paying to stay with the girls? That’s what we finally did to get two nights away last winter and it worked beautifully. Heck, she got them both to school earlier than we did!
Imagine, sleeping in!!! Go, go, go, even if you have to go alone. Robin’s suggestion above is also a good one, although we personally don’t have anyone like that lined up.
When you come out to LA in the spring, please let me know. We can get together – I will show you around LA.
Frankly…time in a big bed ALL ALONE sounds like a little slice of heaven. I’d go just for that reason!!
Gretchen