Do Other Moms Feel Like This?

Tonight was book group night - Anytime I am heading out without the husband and kids, I always feel like ugh...I have to get ready to go...have to make sure that I have dinner planned out (something easy for Justin to prepare or just serve up). There is a part of me that feels like I shouldn't be leaving them for the 3 - 3.5 hours that I am gone. (This is no reflexion on Justin and his ability to take care of the kids - it's apparently just "mom guilt". I could vanish from the planet tomorrow and he'd have it all under control. He'd make a really good SAHM/D if given the opportunity).

That guilty feeling usually lasts about the first 2 minutes of a 20-25 minute drive and then I am giddy with excitement about my time with the girls (and Mark - our lone male member who pumps us full of chocolate!). I take my iPod in the van and flip though until I find "the" song that seems to hit my mood of the moment. Today, with it being warm, sunny and summer - the song was Offspring - Come out and Play. I am one of those that sings and dances in the car (especially doing 65 mph on the highway) without much concern for who might see me (red lights are a different story). There are those fleeting moments when I think I must look like a goober, or a 38 year old mom, driving a not-so-cool minivan, that has lost touch with reality - but then I figure -Who cares?! This is MY time and I am not listening to Laurie Berkner, Hannah Montana or sibling fights! Life is good in the car with my iPod!

So book group was great, as it always is, and it was my night to make dessert. I brought Angel Food Cake with/ Lemon Cream and blueberries - it was very yummy and super easy. Most of us read Child 44 and really liked it. For next month we are reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Here's a picture of the girls from back in December - Patty, Marilyn, Donna, Danielle, Me and Susan (this was at my birthday dinner).


Somehow tonight we got to talking about family trips and long drives. I was reminded of the time that Justin, Mason and I were making a drive to New York to see Grandpa J. Mason was only about a year old. We decided it'd be easier if we left at night so that Mason would sleep all the way there. We packed up the car and hit the road around 1 a.m. or so - got to the first rest stop and we were so tired that we fell asleep in the teeny, tiny Honda Civic for about 5 hours - while less than 20 minutes away was our apartment and nice cozy beds - we have not tried the night driving thing since. We know we suck at it!

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The rest of the weekend has consisted of hanging out on patios, swimming and I started working on getting the basement cleaned out - going through totes and totes and more totes of kid clothes and stuff that just needs to be donated, tossed and passed along to someone that can get good use out of it!

Mason had his first real boy/girl party at Sarah's Pool Party on Friday night

Here is Mason and his old friend Alex (that he doesn't get to see too often now because they go to different schools.)

And Sarah, Mason and Alex on the first day of 2nd grade 6 years ago!
Have I mentioned that time flies??

I am grateful for weekends like this one - lots of friend and family time, lots of work done around the house and happy to have gotten my ME time too.