No boys allowed!

So, my honey runs away once or twice a year.  No girls allowed.  Usually it's a nice lake house with lots of guys or Vegas for basketball tournaments.  A couple of the other guys' wives and I are good friends and usually we just complain about how the guys get to have all the fun.  Well, David decided it was our turn (LOVE that he decided and that I needed to be talked into it, not the other way around).  Of course, now I have to just smile and nod next time he wants to go, but I can live with that!  We finally decided on Chicago as our destination and with much planning, e-mailing, and a playdate for 6 kids, found a few days that worked for the three of us girls.

We set out a little after 11 last Wednesday morning.  About time to go I decided I felt sick and would just stay home - ha ha!  I've never left Max overnight and I've only left Luke overnight to go to the hospital to have Max.  But, I did have to leave Seth for five days when he was about 16 months old.  Because of that, I knew that once I was gone and wasn't somewhere the boys had been with me, it would be okay.  And I was right.  But, walking out that door was ROUGH! 

So, what do three moms do on vacation?  Here's a brief recap:

Wednesday - leave home and drive to Chicago.  Stop for a quick lunch on the way and stare at fast food menu, clueless as to how to choose our own meal rather than order it as an afterthought once the kids meals are squared away.  Check into hotel.  Iron clothes [this was when I realized that I don't relax well - my two friends are sitting there doing nothing and I'm ironing!].  Take a little self-guided tour of the hotel.  Get cleaned up a bit.  Head out to wait for a trolley to Navy Pier, stopping off at the [free] manager's reception for some snacks.  Melt into a puddle of sweat Glisten while waiting for the trolley to Navy Pier.  Ride non-air conditioned trolley to Navy Pier and melt a bit more consider kissing the person who invented air conditioning.  Arrive at Navy Pier and marvel at how much cooler it is by the water.  Shop.  Enjoy dinner looking out at the boats on the water.  Shop some more.  Share a funnel cake.  Watch really pretty fireworks over the water.  Grab a cab back to the hotel.  Get comfy and rent a movie.  Go to bed really late.  Awaken in middle of night to trash truck (?) picking up trash, outside of window, five stories down.  Resist urge to yell, "Boys, it's the trash truck."  Ugh.  Back to sleep.

The boys on my first night away.  I had recorded a book for them so I could still "read" them a bedtime story.  David did the same thing for his last trip. 

Thursday - sleep, glorious sleep.  Enjoy complimentary (warm) breakfast at hotel.  Discover that I eat a lot of ketchup.  Hmm.  Back to room to do nothing.  I started to improve at this 'task.'  We had decided to go to a play Thursday night so we spent some time researching our options, buying tickets and deciding where to eat dinner.  Then we sat around and read.  My super fabulous husband got me a Nook a few weeks ago so it was loaded up with books and games, plus the hotel had free wifi for the summer.  The Nook is the coolest thing ever.  But, I digress.  Next up was a little walk/jog on the treadmill.  Yes, *I* got on the treadmill on vacation.  Then back to the room where I crawled into my bed - in the middle of the afternoon - to read.  Did I mention it was the middle of the day?  Insanity!  Later, get all cleaned up and dressed up a bit and head out to the theater to see "Peter Pan."  Worry a bit as we arrive at theater that it's an odd looking tent-like place.  Replace worry with awe and really enjoy the production - round stage/theater, lots of flying, humorous spin on the story, etc.  Take cab to dinner, reservations at 9:45 - white tablecloths and waiters in tuxes, appetizers and dinner and dessert.  Mmmmm...   Back to hotel to read a bit and sleep!  Repeat trash truck experience from night before.

Friday - up at a reasonable time.  Breakfast at the hotel again and then out shopping!  Oh, with a quick stop at Starbucks.  It was attached to the hotel.  It had to be done.  We were just two blocks from Michigan Avenue so it didn't take us long to get started.  First up - Crate and Barrel.  Then spent lots of time digging at Filene's Basement.  Wound up with a junk jewelry bracelet and pajamas for the boys (yeah, I know how to live it up).  Wandered into lots of other little places along the way.  Late lunch of "real" Chicago style deep dish pizza.  Offered to cut up someone's food so I didn't forget how.  Both friends declined the offer.  Then lots more walking so we would be hungry enough for dessert.  Stand in a long (but totally worth it) line at Garrett's popcorn for caramel crisp popcorn with cashews.  Great dessert  On to Hershey's store for a peanut butter chocolate cupcake and cold glass of milk for dessert.  Then a bit more shopping.  Finally, after all that shopping and eating, back to the hotel room for a little resting/reading/regretting - not what I purchased, but what I didn't purchase (of course, something for the older boys).  Then some room service for dinner and a trip to the hot tub for our weary legs.  Watched another movie and then went to bed really really late!

Apparently I wasn't the only one indulging in food.  Powdered donuts.  And a smirky smile.

Saturday - up at a reasonable time.  Laid in bed for awhile thinking about whether or not I still wanted to go back and get what I didn't get the day before (it's a Christmas gift so I'll just be vague).  Decided I did.  Got up and got ready and packed and skipped breakfast with my friends, opted instead to walk back over to Michigan Ave and grab what I wanted.  Might have stopped at Starbucks again on the way back.  Got back from my little excursion to hear that they had deactivated our room keys (almost 2 hours before check out time) while the others were at breakfast and they had had to hang out in the hallway waiting for someone to fix the situation.  Then we headed home, stopping at McDonald's on the way home (had to ease back into the mom thing).  I love vacations, but when it's time to be home I have NO patience for travelling.  When it's over, I just want it to be over and be home! 

I even returned home to a mostly clean house, nearly all the laundry done (except what I brought home, of course), two bouquets of flowers, and lots of hugs and kisses and cuddles.