Slightly Off-Balance

In a previous post, I talked about my de-bitchery trip.  It is our annual, kid-free weekend to unwind and decompress on our friend’s houseboat.  Well, we decided to do another trip.  Thanks to the miracles of modern technology (aka scheduling blog posts), as you read this I am sitting on this wonderful houseboat WITH MY KIDS.  Yes, we got the bright idea to bring our kids to our adult sanctuary, our personal Calgon commercial for a weekend of ‘family fun’.  This is of course means that I am not sitting, but rather running around, applying sunscreening, making snacks and … what was I thinking?!

Wait! 

I usually take a humorous perspective in my blog, which often means laughing at the harder parts of parenting.  But, today, I am going to be thankful!  I talk incessantly about balance and wanting more time with my family – here’s my chance!  I have no cell service, no laptop and am with my kids and great friends on a beautiful houseboat – I am a very lucky girl!

As parents, we often take bonding opportunities with our kids and turn them into a stressful, checklist-filled, three-ring-circus.  Birthday parties are a great example.  The kids have fun, but how many of us truly enjoy it with them?  Aren’t most of us exhausted afterwards?  (For those of you who are smarter than me, tell me your secret).

So as you read this, I will be sitting on a houseboat playing with my kids, without a schedule or agenda.  We will be swimming, frolicking (why the hell not) and spending some quality time together.  My three-year old daredevil-diva is going to learn to water ski.  She has wanted to try on previous trips but her feet are too small for the skiis, so we bought her some water shoes, to make the skiis fit.  My six-year old son is going to waterski and wakeboard, each for the second time (the first time on both scared him so we have had to wait until he was ready).  I am going to sit and cheer them on and marvel at how big they are getting!  I am not focused on putting them to bed so I can have a cocktail with the adults – although I am abiding by ‘houseboating state law’ that requires all children to be in bed by 9:00 ;), but rather focused on spending time with them and building memories for when they’d rather be with their friends.

This weekend I am enjoying quality time with my kids and appreciating how fortunate I am to be a mother (and be friends with someone who owns a houseboat!)