Happy Hanukkah

I know what you’re thinking.  It’s July.  Why am I writing about Hanukkah?  I’ve completely lost my mind.  Not so fast. 

In 24 hours, Mike and I will be in the car and on our way to Naples, FL for two glorious kid-free days and nights.  My sister-in-law is staying with the kids while we’re gone.  It was her Hanukkah present to us last year.  It took us a while to cash it in, but we’re finally one day away from our getaway. 

I need it, and I think I can speak for Mike here and say we need it.  The last time we went away together was in January 2009.  That was more than two years ago!  I was eight months pregnant with Riley.  It was mostly fun (the maternity bathing suit was not fun), but as you can probably imagine, this trip will be better.

I won’t let Tropical Storm Bret and the rain it’s dumping on Florida deter me.  I won’t let Dylan and Riley’s yucky noses (or the threat of me catching it) discourage me.  I won’t let the daunting task of packing (remember who you’re dealing with here) overwhelm me.

For a whopping 48 hours, I will sip wine instead of fetching sippy cups, sleep in (I’d settle for 7am…Riley had me up at 4:50am today), lounge on the beach without having to keep an eye on anyone, read and possibly finish a book (can you imagine?!) and eat dinner after the sun goes to sleep. 

It will go by too fast, but when it’s over, I’ll come home to big hugs from my love bugs with magic eyes.  Dylan will ask if we brought him a surprise and Riley will say something that begins with “Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy…,” and it will be okay because I will have missed them more than I could have ever imagined.  And once they are fed, bathed and snug in their beds, I’ll get started on my Hanukkah wish list for this year.  Guess what will be on it?

Yes, for the next few days, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.  Happy Hanukkah.