The lake of mom guilt.

1st annual lake trip, July 2009

Don't we look like frat boys & sorority girls?

Sh'yeah, right.

This evening, we leave for the lake.

It's the second annual 'no kids' lake trip.

Typically, we are not ones to leave our kids.

But, I've been thinking that, for appearances sake, it sure looks that way.

Within the last couple of months, this will be our second trip without them.

Wow!

I must admit, there's a little guilt involved.

You see, I was raised by two people who instilled in us that

once you choose to have kids, you are a parent.

That's that.

No leaving them, no dumping them off with random sitters.

They're yours.

Of course, my folks went out here and there.

Of course, we spent the night with our grandparents on occasion.

Of course, it wasn't all mom & dad all the time.

But, I don't recall being away from them much, if at all.

So, when I think about the fact that our 10th anniversary trip

{which lasted a bit over 24 hours},

and the fact that our lake trip falls a mere month-and-a-half later,

it makes me feel more guilty than usual.

Guilt is good, right?

If I didn't feel a tad guilty,

what would that say about me as a mom?

I don't have the answer to that, 

I just thought I'd throw it out there.

I think the bottom line is...

there is a happy medium between NEVER leaving your kids,

and leaving them too much.

My hope is that we have struck the balance.

So, I will go.

After the 2.5 hour car ride, I will feel better about having gone.

I will have fun.

After all, we go with other 'mommy & daddy' couples.

Everyone has at least 2 kids, if not more.

We end up talking about our parenting woes,

our kids,

our lives as something different than crazy college students without real responsibilities.

There's great food, beergaritas, good company, sleeping in, outlet mall shopping for back-to-school.

I feel like it's a bad episode of that old show 'Thirtysomething'.

And, I wouldn't want it any other way.

We even have a breastfed newborn coming along this year.

Holy cats, we are wild and crazy!

Then,

on Sunday,

I will come home to happy, spoiled-by-Grandma-all-weekend kids

who are as happy to see me as I am to see them.

We will cuddle on the couch that night with freshly popped popcorn,

and talk about everything we did over the weekend.

And, the best part is...
I won't leave them again until next July.