By the time you read this, I will most likely be in Argentina. No, I haven't run away from home (although I did pack an extra large suitcase just in case).
I'm here on business.
Official Mommy Shorts business, you ask? Yes, I am scouring the earth for baby celebrity lookalikes and toddlers with which my daughter can have a televised ABC-off.
No, I am here for my day job. You know, the one that actually pays me.
How long will I be away?
TWO WHOLE WEEKS.
If you are having trouble wrapping your brain around that, imagine how I feel.
If you are feeling bad for Mike, DON'T. He's going to spend the first five days out of town at a bachelor party. Mazzy will be with Grammy and Grandsam (my stepfather Sam) until Mike returns for week two. And Mazzy's also got Ruth (our nanny) with her during the day so she will be just fine.
It's me I'm worried about.
I'm actually at the airport right now and the good-bye was nothing short of dramatic. Me waving from the taxi with Mazzy looking back at me over Mike's shoulder as he carried her into the distance. (The distance being Grammy's car parked further down the street.)
I practically burst into tears.
I've only been away from Mazzy a handful of times overnight. The longest being the five day vacation Mike and I took back in January. Five days felt like a much needed break. Two weeks feels like I will come home and Mazzy will be reading Chaucer and drinking espresso.
Every day there is a new word, a new look, a new song memorized, a new thing she finds funny. Every night, I look at her as she sleeps and am amazed how much more space she takes up in her crib. I can't even imagine how much different she will be in two weeks time.
In order to make myself feel better, I made a list of things I won't miss:
• Changing diapers (obviously)
• Cleaning dinner up off the floor
• Telling her not to scrape her toys against the china cabinet
• Chasing after her in case she attempts to throw herself off various playground structures
• Scrubbing crayon off the dining room chairs
• Barney at 6am
• Following her around with a paper towel and a dust buster
• Forcing her to go to bed when she wants to read "I Can Share" for the 400th time
• The constant worry that I left my flat iron on and she's gonna get to it before I do
• Yelling at her to stop touching every hydrant, planter or random city sidewalk fixture that is mainly used as a dog toilet
• Having to leave a restaurant mid-meal because she won't stay in her highchair
• Wrestling my phone out of her hand so she won't kill it with drool like last time
• Fearing she'll break my glasses when she rips them off my face every morning like clockwork
The list goes on.
Sounds like being away should be a party, right?
Maybe. If it wasn't for her new favorite game…
We play in the hallway of our apartment building. I sit on the floor and she walks backwards until she has established as much distance between us as possible. Then she says "Ready?" which is my cue to hold out my arms. At that point, she runs towards me at full speed, crashing her body against mine, ending with the tightest hug imaginable. We hold that position for ten, maybe fifteen wonderful seconds. Then she releases and walks backwards again. We play over and over and it never gets boring.
I hope she still wants to play when I get back.
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Note: Barring some unforseen set of circumstances, I will still be blogging on my normal schedule. Also, tomorrow is my one-year blogoversary, so I'm not about to miss THAT.
Woo, Argentina! Enjoy yourself as much as possible! The fabulous local wine should help dull the pain of separation… 😉
I bet after week one you will be wishing you could do all of these things on this list with her.
Try to enjoy your trip some. She will be so excited to see you when you get home. It will be okay.
Oh lordy. You have me choked up. You’re right, SHE will be just fine, it’s YOU I’m worried about. I hope your business trip is super busy so that you are distracted!
Good luck and enjoying seeing Argentina!!!
Ps. I am LOVING your blog. It cracks me up every time. Well, except this time when it almost made me cry. Either way, you are creating mucho emocion (preparing you for Argentina) in this reader!
Look at you, all jet-setty and whatnot! Plus you get to abandon your kid! Which is sad….and also, AWESOME.
I feel I would like to abandon my children some day in the future… (stares into middle distance wistfully)
I’ve always wanted to go to Argentina – have a great time!!!
Mazzy will still play the hallway game with you. Except she’ll probably hug it out for 30 seconds each time.
Wow Argentina! How awesome. Don’t worry I’m sure when you get back she’ll still be in diapers and ever so eager to play that hugging game, UNLESS she meets the boy of her dreams, runs away and becomes the world’s first 2 year old bride…
This made me tear up a litte bit. God speed!
Aww, hang in there, mama! It’s tough being away from them. Congrats on your blogoversary!
She’ll be ok. I know its hard and scary, but you can both do it. And she’ll be sooooooo glad to see you when you get home! I spend several days at a time away for work and have for the past couple of years. My son’s good and it has been great for him and his dad to have “guy time.” Enjoy yourself!
I am envious – – tomorrow I am going to get on a six hour plane ride WITH my girls (ages 2 & 9). I’m thinking Daddy and Little Miss two year old may not be OK without each other, but a week with my friends and family on the other coast is calling – – SO WE ARE GOING! Don’t worry about Mazzy and Daddy – – being away makes coming home so much better!!!
Oh my goodness, you had me tearing up. I love that game…and I hate cleaning up food off the floor too.. wow. I am not the one to sit here and say you will be fine, I wouldn’t be. Just do your best to get by and skype as much as possible even though it will break your heart each time! Good luck.
We call that the Body Slam Hug. Just watched my almost five year old play it all weekend with her out of state teenaged/college cousins. Works even better if she knocks you over.
You’ll be ok. Can Mike or Grandparents arrange Facetime or Skype sessions while you’re gone? Or have them videotape her so you can see some new thing she did that day.
Bienvenida a la Argentina! How awesome that you’re coming to my country! Will you be staying in Buenos Aires? Probably. I hope you have a great time! Let me know if you need any references or I can help you with anything… I bet you didn’t know you had a fan from Argentina!! Best of luck
Hugging games are the best! Be save and have fun as I’m sure Mazzy will as well. Congrats on the blogaversary!
aw! It is sad to leave your baby, travel safe.
Well ahead of you. Started drinking on the plane.
It’s been approx. 12 hours and I am still not missing diaper changing duties. I will let you know if that changes.
Sorry for the tears. I wish I could laugh at this one but not yet! Maybe after a glass of malbec and an alfajor, I’ll feel better.
Glad you are enjoying the blog!
I read your post about being jealous of celebrity nannies so I know all about you and your desire to abandon your child!
Wouldn’t that be the best? Although I’d settle for a five second hug right about now.
Imagine Mike potty-trains her while I’m gone? How AWESOME would that be?!
Thank you for that perspective. I keep thinking about military families to make myself feel better. Although I can hardly say I am doing anything nearly as honorable.
The heart wants what it wants……
Two weeks! That is hard. Although, I’d probably be okay with it! But, that’s because I have all boys, and there are a lot of them. And, only the little even notices if I’m around at this point anyway. They cry when I bring them home from Mimi & Papa’s house. My baby still loves me though. I’m hanging onto that tidbit. I’m sure your girl will want to play with you when she gets back. And, it will be harder for you than it is for her. Which is no consolation, but it’s all I got!
I don’t know what to say other than I feel for you. I just spent five days away from Lil’ Bit and THAT felt like an eternity. Although it came on the heels of spending two days away from her, which was a much-needed break. I made that same list while I was away and I still missed the hell out of her. And I swear she’d gotten taller when I came home (and had more hair).
Hang in there. I know it’s no consolation, but it’s all I can offer.
Good luck on the plane! Tell your husband not to have to much fun while you are gone.
The skyping is definitely heartbreaking. Today she sang the ABCs to me and then said Bye! See You!
I guess she’s not missing me as much as I miss her.
Body Slam Hug is the best. We’ve been skyping. My mom’s computer sucks though so it looks like I am looking at some sort of sci-fi scan of her face. All red and pixelated. I think they see me fine though.
Holla! I am in Buenos Aires and I will be emailing you for some suggestions— thank you!
Mazzy adores Grammy. So much so that I wish Grammy wasn’t there when we were saying our goodbyes because she was so into Grammy that she wouldn’t give me one last body slam hug:(
We are going to a wedding in Italy without her in mid September so this definitely puts a damper on that trip. I had no idea when we made those plans that I would book this job. Plus, I was just at Blogher for four days. So I’m feeling like the worst mom on earth right about now.
I’m catching up on my Mommy Shorts because I was on vacation last week, and now you’ve made me cry with your little hug game. Damn you, Ilana. I hope Argentina is flying by and that virtual super tight hugs are almost as good as the real thing.
I hope you’re hanging in there Mama! I’m excited to hear about your reunion when you get back… xo