For the second time I left the babies to get a much needed break and a little R&R. When I went to Hood River they were 10 months old. This time they are 18 months old and I must say leaving them this time was WAY harder. I don’t know if it is because now I feel like they know that I’m gone or because I am out of the deepest trenches that the vacation then was so much more needed. Maybe it was because now, at this age they are SO MUCH FUN. Whatever the reason I missed Jeff and the babies terribly. I actually contemplated changing my plane ticket and heading home a day early. It’s not that I didn’t have fun, I just really missed the babies. A lot. I’m surprised at how much I missed them and I feel like I didn’t enjoy my vacation as much because I just wanted to be home hanging out with my family. *Upon reflection I’ve realized that next vacation I need it to be just the girls. Hanging out with Stacey and HER family made me miss MY family. I think if it had been a girls only trip (no children) and full of ONLY me relaxing time I wouldn’t have been so anxious to get back home to my family.

Another thing that surprised me was the fact that I wasn’t able to relax. I mean really veg out and relax. I guess going a hundred miles an hour on a daily basis is the new norm so I found it very hard to change gears into slow mode. Sitting idle felt weird. Doing nothing felt……dare I say, boring? Don’t get me wrong, it was nice to do nothing. No laundry, no dishes, no cleaning, no refereeing, no bathing…nothing except worry about what I was going to stuff into my mouth. It was nice to sleep in (the one day I was actually able to sleep in since apparently I’m conditioned to waking up at the crack of dawn now). It was beautiful in San Diego, the weather was perfect, and I had a great time with my best friend. But….I was happy to head home and kiss and cuddle my little Clambinos. I was happy to be back home with the crazies and their crying, and whining, and fighting. And their kisses, and hugs, and laughs, and cuddles. I don’t think I’ll be leaving them again for a long, long time….unless I can convince Jeff to go to Hawaii with me (fat chance!). Then, maybe then, I could do it again!!

**The babies did wonderful without me here. I’m not even sure they missed me all that much. Every time I called they were doing something fun with their Daddy. They had a blast having Daddy around for 4 days straight doing all the fun things I don’t let them do….playing in the pantry, playing with the remote, getting soaking wet at the park…you know, fun Daddy things. =)