I’m going to Paris. Without the kids!
It’s taken me seven and a half years to get to this point: I’m going to Paris with my friends. For three whole days and two nights. Without kids. And I don’t feel one ounce of guilt!
I’m leaving our girls (7 and 1/2,5 and 4) with hubby. He’s perfectly willing and capable.
However, the girls are a bit concerned.
“Mummy, what are we going to eat? Daddy only knows how to make sandwiches.”
“I’m going to miss you. Who’s going to do my hair for Emily’s disco party?”
“Mummy, please take a picture of the eye-full tower for me.”
The last comment was from our middle one, she could care less about food or the way she looks and is aware that being with daddy will mean she’ll get to go to bed without washing her hair and lots of trips to Tesco for those horrible magazines with cheap plastic toys.
Meanwhile, we (six mums) have planned fancy dinners in Michelin-stared restaurants, leisurely afternoons watching Parisians from the end of a coffee cup, markets, museums, and lots of things that are hard to do with squirming kids in tow.
We leave Friday on the Eurostar and I’m not leaving any instructions. The girls know where their clothes are kept (even if daddy doesn’t) and I don’t care if they go McDonalds three times a day.
God only knows what I’ll come home to.
Photo credit: sepblog
Hectic Mum | 15th Oct 09
Have a fantastic time….I’m also ver jealous! My other half has only 1 dish he can cook from scratch….but he is a very competent washer upper.
Snafflesmummy | 8th Oct 09
wow, how exciting, very jealous. Hope you have a fab time
working mum | 8th Oct 09
That sounds great. Have a fabulous time and go visit the ‘eye full’ tower!
A Modern Mother | 7th Oct 09
Met Mum — please don’t wait as long as I did…
Metropolitan Mum | 7th Oct 09
I am so envious (in the best possible way, of course). I just told Big M that I needed a break and whilst I am sure he thought ‘yeah, right, she can go have a manicure next Saturday’, I am more thinking along your lines. Dear God, please don’t make me wait another seven years for some proper me-time.
Enjoy your time a Pairs and bring back pictures. We all loved the rowing pics…
A Modern Mother | 7th Oct 09
Noble — it’s coming….
Linda — I like that idea of a hen do without the wedding!
Amy –thanks!
Amy | 7th Oct 09
That’s great. Have a wonderful time.
Linda | 6th Oct 09
Brilliant – hope you have a lovely time…sorry I seem to have that phrase stuck in my head for some reason. I felt terrible about leaving my daughters when an opportunity came up for a short trip away, but they weren’t in the least bothered and as has been pretty well documented, we had a fantastic time. Like a week long hen ‘do’ without the wedding! x
Noble Savage | 6th Oct 09
That sounds absolutely divine (and I never use the word ‘divine’ but it seemed appropriate here). I’m looking forward to the time I can do a trip sans kids. Just a couple (few?) more years…
A Modern Mother | 6th Oct 09
Thanks all! Middle child is now gathering recipes by her bed “for daddy”.
Rosie Scribble | 6th Oct 09
Sounds fantastic. I’m envious! Have a great time!
Insomniac Mummy | 6th Oct 09
Yay! Good for you! Have a blumming brilliant time!
🙂
Lottie Lockwood | 6th Oct 09
Paris…..lucky you! Hope you enjoy every second of your 3 whole days and 2 nights!
Jennifer Howze | 6th Oct 09
Sounds fab. I went to Paris over the summer with a friend on a mother daughter weekend with both of our 5-year-olds. There’s nothing not made better by paris.
A Modern Mother | 6th Oct 09
Coding – thanks! Any news of baby yet?
Coding Mamma | 6th Oct 09
Well done! Have a fantastic time (which I’m sure you will); you totally deserve it.
Treemama | 6th Oct 09
Who cares what you come home to! HAVE FUN!!! Whoo-hoo!
Hot Cross Mum | 5th Oct 09
Sounds totally fabulous. Have a ball in gay Paris. You know you’ll return to utter mayhem – but they’ll have had fun and you’ll be too high on caffeine, cocktails and cafe society to give a damn! 🙂
English Mum | 5th Oct 09
YAYYYY!
I came back from Disney to a complete bloody mess: dog food squelched around a 4′ radius of his bowl, tomato sauce welded onto the kitchen table… fast food wrappers falling out of the bin… but did I care?
Nah… Cos I had 7 days of drinking Mojitos with real, grown up women!!
Knock yourself out and have a blast!
blueviolet | 5th Oct 09
That is the best news ever! You’re going to have the time of your life!
Alison | 5th Oct 09
Have a fantastic time! I can’t seem to get anywhere these days!
Iota | 5th Oct 09
Have a great time! And of course don’t feel guilty.
Antonella | 5th Oct 09
Have a great time! And no, please do not feel guilty at all! Ciao. A.
notSupermum | 5th Oct 09
Have a great time!!
A Modern Mother | 5th Oct 09
Caroline — thanks!
TooMany – I’m really exxcited, mainly about not feeling guilty about the trip…
Nappy — hope so!
nappyvalleygirl | 5th Oct 09
They’ll be fine – and you will have a ball.
I dream of trips like that….
TooManyHats | 5th Oct 09
OMGosh! Jealous does not even begin to describe how I feel right now, that and really excited and proud that one of us moms is getting away – we all deserve that from time to time. Have the best time ever!
Caroline | 5th Oct 09
Have a fabulous time, Susanna – it sounds wonderful!
A Modern Mother | 5th Oct 09
Natalie — thanks!
Natalie | 5th Oct 09
Woohoo! Enjoy yourself to the max!
A Modern Mother | 5th Oct 09
Potty — thanks!
Jennie — I hope this become a regular thing…
Tim — no dads allowed!
Erica — thanks, will do.
BinB — yes! It’s so liberating that I don’t care what happens!
Tara — That’s interesting, hubby had a weekend away about six months ago and this is my payback, and yes I did hold it over his head…
Mwa | 5th Oct 09
Hurray!
Tara@Sticky Fingers | 5th Oct 09
Jammie jammie jammie sod.
I had a weekend away with the girls for my 40th and hubby stepped in.
It was fabulous but I feel like it’s this ‘thing’ that hangs over my head at all times:
“yes, but I did have the children all weekend that one time.”
Yes, but that’s your job, you’re their FATHER.
Tusk, men!
Have a marvellous time x
Brit in Bosnia | 5th Oct 09
Have the best time.
Think you are doing the right thing to leave no instructions. They’ll work it out between them.
Erica | 5th Oct 09
Woohoo, freedom! Have fun. I always find the best strategy is let them carry on, they don’t need me interfering and spoiling their fun 🙂 Take lots of pics, can’t wait to see them…
Tim Atkinson | 5th Oct 09
Any room for a dad?
Jennie | 5th Oct 09
I’ve just come back from a long weekend in Sorrento with my best friend, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world! We do these short breaks (minus husband and kids) every other year. My husband decided that being a stay at home mum was harder than he’d previously thought, and so is happy for me to have my little breaks (I think secretly he’s glad to have the opportunity to play at being stay at home dad for a few days!).
Enjoy Paris; I’ve never been yet, but it’s definitely on the list for the next few years!
Jennysnail | 5th Oct 09
Awesome – I am very jealous !
Potty Mummy | 5th Oct 09
Have a fabulous time – you deserve it!
A Modern Mother | 5th Oct 09
Perf Happy — Thanks, am soooo looking forward ot it…
Peggy | 5th Oct 09
Yeah!! Enjoy it and I definitely wouldn’t feel guilty either!