We're back from our WONDERFUL week in Myrtle Beach, and though I thoroughly enjoyed every day in the sand and sun, I'm glad to be back home with our little girls. Our week included everything Bill and I have been missing out on in the past year or so: sleep, full meals, relaxation, reading books, long walks, holding hands(!), more sleep, drinking, odd moments of karaoke (another story for another time), 50s music impersonators, sun, sand, waves, sharks, and s'mores. Aaaaah.
The girls stayed with my mom, sister, and Ralph for the week (thank you again!), and did amazingly well. Bill and I were so nervous leaving them that my mom had to practically push us out the door when we left. Luckily for us, instead of any crying or long goodbyes, Maddie yelled, "Bye, Mommy and Daddy!" and went back to playing with her toys. Josie gave us a quick smile before scooting across the floor to steal Maddie's toys.
I fully expected to be completely heartbroken the first few days, but it was the exact opposite. Bill and I were so caught up in everything happening that we almost didn't have time to miss the girls. It finally got to me about the 3rd or 4th day of the week. I kept looking around the beach and seeing parents with their little kids Maddie's and Josie's ages, and it broke my heart that they weren't with us. They would have loved the water and sand and it would have been nice to introduce them to that, but maybe another time. Bill and I discussed taking them to the beach on our own sometime soon.
It also helped that the girls didn't miss us ONE BIT. Seriously. We called them every day and each phone conversation with Maddie went like this:
M: Hi, Mommy and Daddy!
Us: Hi, Maddie! What did you do today?
M: I go see chickens and cows and ducks! And baby chickens, and mommy chickens, and daddy chickens.
Us: Oh wow, that's great. Are you having fun? Mommy and Daddy miss you very much.
M: Okay, bye!
And then she would run off to play with Nana or Poppa or Aunt Mic or Heath or her cousins, Brandon and Cheyenne. Apparently the baby chicks that she saw were such a big hit that they replaced the affections of Mommy and Daddy. (And no, Nana, we are NOT bringing any baby chicks home to live with us right now. Maddie's 2 dogs and cat will have to suffice.) Despite a few temper tantrums that are normally an everyday part of our life at home, Maddie had a great week.
Josie did well too, for the most part. Apparently the new environment didn't help her sleep very well and my mom and Mic got to experience waking up with her every few hours. Also, Josie had just started cutting her 2nd tooth when we left so she was very cranky for a few days. Maddie never even got more than a little uncomfortable when she was teething (we never knew there was a new tooth until we happened to spot it days later) but Josie had a harder time with it, including running a small temp and crying incessantly. Poor baby. But she did love seeing her Poppa (despite the fact that she didn't recognize him at first without his hat and screamed whenever she looked at him) and got even closer to crawling (she's now rocking back and forth on her hands and knees -- you should see the kid move when she sees a toy she wants! she knows she had better get there before Maddie).
I nearly cried when we got to my mom's place on Saturday night. Maddie looked so small, yet more like a little girl, and I almost didn't recognize Josie. Bill said the same thing. It's as if Josie grew twice as much while we were gone. Her face had changed a little as well. Sounds weird, but it's so true. Of course Maddie met us with, "Mommy and Daddy! I missed you!" and a big hug. (That's her favorite saying now, even if we've just been in the next room.) Josie gave us a big smile, followed by a moan that sounded so painful it nearly broke my heart. Her gums were hurting her so much that she would smile intermittently with grimacing and grunting. But I think she was glad to be back with Mommy and Daddy as her mood improved dramatically over the rest of the evening.
The past couple of nights at home have been wonderful. I'm not going to say that we didn't NEED this vacation, but it's good to be home again. I feel like I've returned with a renewed sense of what I'm doing and what I want to do with the girls. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I also think it --in small doses--makes a better parent as well.
***I can't seem to get enough of the smell of Maddie and Josie either. No, I'm not talking about their poopy diapers, or milk-crusted faces. I mean the smell of them and even their breath. If you've ever seen the movie "Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her" then you'll understand the scene where Kathy Baker goes in to smell her son's breath while he sleeps. Sounds creepy, but any parent will understand.
