My Vacation from the Kids

My very relaxing vacation spot!

I've noticed I take a bit more time off from my children than other moms I know, many of whom have never spent a night apart from their children, much less actually taken a vacation from them.  Maybe part of it is because we have two moms in our household and so caregiving for the kids is divided differently.  But I know that a significant part of this difference between me and other moms is because I probably require more adult time than other moms to keep me happy and healthy.

With this is mind, I arranged to spend three days in Austin with my aunt and uncle after Christmas.  I wanted to give myself the gift of a mini-vacation before I start my next job (I'll write more about that later).

I can't describe how wonderful my trip was, on so many levels.  First of all, I really enjoy my Aunt Dana and Uncle Mark and it was nice to have so many long and meaningful conversations with them (without kids interrupting me, I might add!).  And of course Austin is a great place to visit, especially their amazing neighborhood.

I saw two live music performances at very small venues, and left with my first-ever New Year's resolution: to watch more live music in L.A.  I also had some great meals, nice walks through the neighborhood, and lots and lots of down time.  I had plenty of time to catch up on reading (I finished What Is the What about the Lost Boys of Sudan and started Bossypants), I watched a movie in bed during the middle of the day (can't remember the last time I did that!), and got caught up on my blog.

I'm lucky to have a wife who supports my need for adult time (as do my parents, who were watching Zadie during this time).  And of course I'm thankful to my aunt and uncle for being such great hosts!