This past weekend, Matt was away and so my wonderful in-laws took the kids for a couple days.
On Friday afternoon when Ella got up from her nap, she came out of her room with her eyes still puffy with sleep, hair sticking in every direction and said 'Mommy, I'm going to sit in my yellow chair and wait for Nana and Papa'.
So that's what she did. She pulled her yellow chair up in front of the door and with only a few short breaks to pack her sleep-over princess backpack, she sat from 3:30 to 5:30, waiting for her weekend adventure to begin. That's the way it goes around here. One night at the grandparents' is always a treat. But two? Two nights? There was no way she was missing that.
I had to take photos.
So Ella got to leave on Friday night and it was just me and Hannah.I think she was excited to have mommy to herself.
There was a lot of this going on:

The next morning I dropped Hannah off with her grandparents and sister, and suddenly had the strangest feeling.
I was driving away with no kids in the backseat and not even a husband around to touch base with. Nobody needed to know where I was or how long I'd be. I felt twenty years old again.
I could do whatever I wanted.
I decided to head towards the 'big town' about 45 mins away and go to stores that I'd never take my kids to.
I went to antique shops. I tried on clothes...more than once and without sweating. I went to Merle Norman and had my makeup done. I even wandered around Wal-mart for absolutely no reason, except that I could.
It was glorious.
Man I wish I had appreciated my freedom more when I was twenty! I would have learned more, explored more, and slept more.
That night I slept ten hours. Ten hours, people!!! That is like a decade to a mommy. I felt drunk on rest the next day.
Of course, by midday I was sick of reliving 20 and I wanted my husband and kids back. I missed my husband making me laugh, I missed the cute stories Ella tells and I missed hearing Hannah's little voice say 'Hi'.
What a wonderfully rejuvenating weekend. I'll tuck it away in my memory and pull it out whenever I'm feeling exhausted. I'll remember the peace and relaxation. The quiet.
But most of all, I'll remember how good it felt to come home to this:
















