Leaving (for) Las Vegas

This Sunday will be the first time I will have EVER been away from my husband AND kids for more than one night. I've been away with the kids and not hubby, or with hubby and not kids, but never without either.

My husband and I went to Vegas for the first time in 2012 - we flew his sister in from Calgary to stay with the kids for three nights. The kids were fine, and we had a blast (and by "blast" I mean we were in bed by 10 each night!) We stayed in a different hotel each night and always asked for two queen sized beds - it was a luxury to have a bed all to ourselves and a solid 8 hours of sleep!

This time, I need a real break. Some might think me selfish, but if you are a stay at home Mom with no family in town and no nanny, you will be able to relate. With no chance of a regular break and no dates with my husband unless we pay through the nose for a sitter, I am finally about to crack! With rare exception, I am on duty 24/7. Wiping noses, wiping bums, washing hands, brushing teeth, combing for lice, doing laundry, shopping, cooking, cleaning, changing sheets, picking up toys, driving to and picking up from school, breaking up squabbles, mopping up spills, wiping down the bathroom after a bath (water fight), etc, etc, etc. All the while, children are barking demands (bring me a snack plate!), calling me names, saying "I don't like you!" Aaaaah, heaven.

Meanwhile, hubby comes and goes throughout the day, comes home to a clean house, clean underwear, stocked shelves, and healthy kids. If there are toys on the floor, he steps over them. If there is no milk, he asks why I didn't buy any. If the kids can't find clothes, he doesn't know where to look. Well... aaaaaall that is about to change...!!!

I am flying to Vegas on an early flight on Sunday, so will be up and out of the house by 5 am. My return flight is on Wednesday afternoon, getting me home in time for supper. This means that he will be alone with the kids for 3.5 FULL days. All regular duties will fall to him - breakfasts, lunches, getting kids ready for the day, cooking dinner, cleaning spills, wiping bums, combing for lice. Is it bad that this thought makes me giddy??? I feel an evil laugh bubbling to the surface just writing this down!!! Muaaaahahahahaaaaa!!!

With every fibre of my being, I am trying to resist the temptation to take care of everything before I go. I have to stop myself from stocking up on snacks for school lunches, cleaning the house, doing all the laundry, and making meals for the freezer. I want him to have to scramble in the cupboards for lunch and dinner ideas. I want him to run out of milk and not have any for the morning cereal. I want my daughter to whine about not having any clean leggings for school. I want him to be the one who forgot to put her library books in her backpack for library day.

Now, you and I both know what will happen when I'm gone - kids will watch lots of TV, dinners will be bought, hair won't be brushed, house will be a mess, kids will go to bed whenever, and there certainly won't be any play dates! Until the last day. Come Wednesday morning, my hubby will go on a cleaning spree, cleaning all the mess they've been living in for 3 days. Dishes will get done, toys will get picked up, laundry will get put in the washer (but won't be dried, and if it's dried, it won't be folded and put away). When I get home, he will act like it was a piece of cake, like it was clean the whole time and the kids were angels. But I will know the truth - the kids drove him batshit crazy, and he yelled at them no less than three times each day. Guaranteed. And the next time I tell him I'm going on a mini vacation, I will see panic flash across his face as he scours his brain frantically for the 100 reasons I shouldn't go (which will include but is not limited to "I have to work", "we can't afford it", and my personal favourite "why did you have kids if you just want to get away from them all the time?!")

Vegas, here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!