Lately, life has
been hard. My husband has been
traveling quite a bit, Maisy is going through an
excruciatingly annoying phase
where she refuses to wear shoes, and her big sister Elana now
exclusively
addresses me as “Rhiana,” even after I’ve threatened to
destroy every last one
of her Rainbow Magic fairy books! Consequently, the circles
under my eyes have
grown darker, and my “laugh lines” are deeper. I needed to get
away, if even
only for a day.
The Memorial Day weekend
provided me the perfect opportunity to take a small hiatus
from all things
maternal and marital. Once I got the clearance from my family,
I booked a room
and coerced a friend to join. By late Saturday morning we had
packed our
swimsuits and sun hats and were ready to kiss our little ones
goodbye, leaving
them in the capable hands of their (somewhat worried-looking)
fathers.
But what would this
little excursion cost? As a mother who rarely spends money on
herself, I
decided to keep a running tab for the trip.
Cost of
gasoline for two-hour car trip = $12
Not having to listen to
Katy Perry on repeat during the drive = priceless
Lunch
for two at a hotel restaurant = $40
Enjoying a glass of wine
at noon = priceless
Spa
pedicure complete with extra-long foot massage = $45
Not having to negotiate
with my barefoot 3-year-old to make her put on her sandals =
priceless
Poolside
margarita = $8
Not sharing a water
bottle speckled with bits of toddler backwash = priceless
Dinner
at a trendy restaurant in downtown Sacramento = $80
Dining at a restaurant
that has never served chicken fingers = priceless
50-minute
full body massage = $90
Being rubbed by someone
who does not expect me to return the favor = priceless
One-night
stay at Arden Hills resort = $260 (divided by two = $130)
Waking up to pure silence
instead of “Mommy—take off my diaper!” = priceless
Total
cost of 34 hours of freedom = $395
Total cost of 34 hours
without having to remind anyone to wipe after they poop =
PRICELESS!!!
Rhiana Maidenberg is a freelance
writer raising two kids—Maisy, 3,
and Elana, 5— with husband Ted on Andover Street. You can
often find her hiding
behind a laptop at Bernie’s Coffee on 24th Street. She is a
regular contributor
to the Huffington Post Parents online and Babble.com.
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