I'm a slow learner

When I was "younger," I looked at people who worked out every day and thought, "they must not have kids or obligations." And if they did have kids, I thought, "how can they leave their kids LONGER at daycare while they go and do something for themselves?"

I was judgmental - and wrongfully so.

It wasn't until I was nearly 30 and had kids that were 6 and 3 that I had an ah-ha moment and went "OOHHHH, NOW I get it."

That hour means the difference between us having a good evening and a crabby evening. That hour lets me unwind from my day and prepare for my evening with my family - I let go of the worries, they stress, the responsibility and just take care of my own mind and body. And I don't think that my children suffer staying at grandma's for an extra hour, or with daddy for an hour when I go. It's made me healthier, stronger, more energetic and more confident to boot.

Also, when I was "younger," I was judgmental another way - couples traveling without their kids. It wasn't until last year - our 11th wedding anniversary and being together for 14 years - that we took a trip by ourselves. AH-HA! Three days was all it took (well, actually, just a few hours...I think when we landed at the airport) that I realized that a little time away, as a couple, reconnects you to EACH OTHER and makes you a better couple, a better parent, a better team.

I told one of my energy vampires we were going to Las Vegas again in May, and she said "why don't you ever do things with your kids?" I nearly lost it. We take our kids on lots of fun weekend trips all year long and we do fun things with them ALL.THE.TIME. Just because we don't take them on cruises to the Bahamas, Alaska and across the country every summer like she does doesn't mean that we should feel bad for going to Las Vegas for a TOTAL of a week in two years. Because our son has this health condition, we are limited to a three hour radius of his doctors - but we've taken them to Oklahoma City, Hays, Manhattan, Lawrence, KC, Wichita, etc. and had a GREAT weekend, just being together. Low cost, low stress, low key. Her comment, like all of her comments, made me doubt myself (thus her status as an energy vampire).

But then, another Ah-ha moment, courtesy of my husband. I'm a good parent. I work a full time job caring for my son's health issues ON TOP of my full time job. I pour my heart and soul into teaching fitness classes to help other people feel better about themselves. And by gosh, if I have the money stashed away and the time off to go on a four day trip with my husband for the second time in 14 years, I'm gonna do it. And my kids will have a BALL camping out with grandma and grandpa. The time away from US will do THEM good, too.

Yeah, I'm a slow learner. But I'm not a lost cause.