A Mother's Guilt

I will be the first to admit that I am extremely attached to my children. We wanted to have children for so long and we have gone through so much to have them. Now that they are here, I don't like to leave them very often. I have been blessed with 2 beautiful, healthy, happy, smart, funny, adorable (and the list goes on and on) children. I have also been blessed with the fact that I am able to stay home with them. I have enjoyed these past 2 years more than I could ever express. I say all this to say that, while I love being a mother, even moms need a break. Everyone will tell you that a little time away is good for a mother's soul. It gives us time to "re-boot." We need time to just be, without someone needing juice or a diaper or his tractor or her lipgloss. It is good for us to take time to relax and have adult conversation. That is what is happening this weekend. A group of girlfriends are headed to the beach for a 2nd annual getaway. It is something that we have all been eagerly anticipating since we came home last year. We are all looking forward to talking, lying on the beach, sleeping late, and laughing (a lot of laughing). My brain knows I need this. As for my heart, well, I must confess it is not so sure. The truth is that, even though there are times when I want to pull my hair out, I love being with my kids. I love that they want to lay with me on the couch to go to sleep. I love that they want me to build a fort with chairs and blankets so that we can crawl inside and watch Sesame Street. Bedtime and early mornings will be the hardest. I will have to figure out how to drink my coffee without 2 kids in my lap. I will miss them terribly.