Italia

     So...I just went to Italy. Yes, this is why I have not blogged in over a week. Two very dear friends of mine decided to get married outside of Florence, Italy and I was lucky enough to make the trip. Now how does a single mother of two afford a trip to Italy? It's simple; her parents buy her ticket and pay for half of her lodging.
    Five years ago, it would have been hard for me to take such a handout but divorce does things to a person, and in my case, I have opened myself up to charitable donations. Plus, my parents know me to be a frugal person who would not have made the trip without their help.
     Money was actually my first obstacle, my second was leaving my children. Being away from my kids every other weekend is hard enough but now I would be away from them for a week and by  choice. My daughter is a tough girl so I was not as worried about her, my object of concern was my sensitive, mama's boy son.
     My kid's dad agreed to take them for the week and for reinforcement he called on his mother to help out. She lives out of state so I knew that it would be a treat for my babies to see her but I still worried. I eventually had a heart to heart with my daughter about the trip and as expected she handled the news well. My son is a different animal though and it is best to wait until the last possible moment to break such news to him. When I could wait no longer I broke it to him gently. I told him that his grandma was coming to visit and that I would work while he played with her then I would attend a wedding and finally I would come home to his sister and him. He kicked his legs a bit, stomped on the floor, hit his leg with his hand, he was mad. He softened a bit when I mentioned the words Mall of America, a place his grandmother always visits when she is in town. And when they came to pick up the kids, he went quietly and seemed...decent. That was more than I could ask for.
     I waved good-bye to my lovely kids then scrambled to pack and prepare the house for a week long absence. I had one hour. I thought the kids might get depressed if I packed in front of them so I waited until the last minute. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but after running around the house like a nut job and breaking a sweat, I decided that it was actually a crappy plan, well for me anyway.
     Have you ever traveled somewhere only to realize that the people you are traveling with find you annoying? I think that I am a fine person but apparently being late, being loud in public and videotaping events annoy people. Add to that jetlag and a headache that lasts two days and man you have not started out your trip on a good note.
     Thankfully, my headache subsided by the time the wedding occurred and I actually began to have fun. I missed my babies like crazy but thought I'm here I may as well have fun. And we did. We ate and drank and ate and drank. I was actually shocked to find countless thin Italian people. I truly don't know how they do it. I put on a pound a day while I was there.
     When the festivities finally settled down and I finally returned home to my kids, they greeted me with open arms. I hugged and kissed them like crazy. Then we snuggled on the couch for a time and eventually went to bed together at 8:30. I say bed not sleep because I did not sleep much that night. My son woke up three times in the middle of the night most likely to make sure I was still there and not some mirage. He would go right back to sleep but I would not. Then my daughter slept in my bed pushing her body next to mine which seems sweet unless you are a person who likes to sleep, then it's only sweet for a few minutes.
     In the morning, I experienced payback for leaving my kids. I can't tell you how many times they fell apart that day. Tears of stress kept releasing from their little bodies. How is it possible that the most lovely creatures I have ever met also drive me to extreme kookiness? I can't believe that kookiness is actually a word, no spell check warning. Well, we all know that answer to that question and it's parenting. It's a life-long job with ups and downs and it takes the right perspective to focus on the ups. No matter what, I love you Miles and Nola.