Look Out, Paris (and Gaspard and Lisa): Here come Ma and Pa Diegel

Today is Monday.

I have Today, tomorrow, and the next day to complete a to-do list a million miles long. 

You see, Ma and Pa Diegel are headed to Paris.

Nope, not this Paris.

(Paris, Texas)

 

 

Nope, not this one, either.



(Paris Hotel/Casino, Las Vegas)

That's right - The REAL Paris,  like Paris, France.

The City of Lights.

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, Versailles, croissants - THAT Paris.

The FANCY Paris that little girls dream about their whole lives.

Hayden also informs me that Paris is where these little guys live.

(Gaspard and Lisa from Disney Junior)

She is quite annoyed that she is not going to be able to meet Gaspard and Lisa and will not be convinced that these rabbit-dogs (who according to the official website are "neither dogs nor rabbits, but residents of Paris") are only cartoons and that Daddy and I will not actually be meeting them or staying in their house, either.  This has been the source of much tension in our family lately.  She is picturing us running off and having a lovely holiday with Gaspard and Lisa without her. LOL Poor Hayden. 

Anyhow, that's why I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

I have laundry, shopping, cleaning, and worrying to do.

Remember when we went to Rome?  Remember what a nervous wreck I was? I don't think I am that nervous this time, but you know how it goes.  I have been in denial that it was happening until today, when I just can't deny it anymore.

My girls are going to spend 11 days with my parents.  It is easier not to freak out because they are going to be with people who we trust more than we can say.  My girls are happy and safe there, and they spend the night there a couple of times a month anyway, so they are used to it.  They even have their own bedroom at Gramma and Papa's!

I just hope that my parents are ready. These kids will suck the life-force right out of you. They are busy little bees.  I hope that my Mom and Dad have been eating their Wheaties and have been for several weeks months leading up to our departure.

I sure will miss these faces, though.

It is hard to "let go".  Leaving them with someone else is a big release of control for me. I do everything for them, and the idea of letting that go for a little while is hard.

In my head, I know that it is only 11 days and that it will fly by, and that they will be spoiled rotten happy and well taken care of the entire time, and likely will not miss us at all. But in my heart, I am their mom and I love them and they are my life, and to spend 11 days away from them feels like I will come back and they will be all grown up.  Hoot might be reading by then. Buggy might learn to drive.  You just never know. ;-)

However, I also know that I need a break. Taking care of two demanding little girls day n and day out is exhausting. I need to be an adult for a few days. I know that I deserve that. 

And, I need to be alone with my husband and remember what it was like when it was just the two of us - after all, someday it will just be the two of us again and we don't want to look at each other and go, "Who the HELL are YOU?" 

Maybe while we are in France, we could actually have a conversation. Like adults. With no interruptions.  What is THAT even like?  Funny that we have to be on a different continent from our kids to actually have a regular adult conversation with the man I married.   Hey, maybe our conversation won't even be about kid stuff. 

Right?

Oh, who am I kidding.  We will probably be looking for Gaspard and Lisa the entire time. Haha!

So is the life of the parents of little kids.

Well, I suppose I should get back to doing the mountains of laundry, running to the grocery store, packing my bags and the bags for the kids, cleaning up my house, running errands, and sneaking in LOTS of extra snuggles with my girls.

Sigh.

I have a million things to do.

Soon I will be in full vacay mode.

I CAN'T WAIT.

Who knows? Maybe we will meet up with Gaspard and Lisa for a glass of wine by the Seine River.  Maybe the little rabbit-dogs "residents of Paris" will buy me dinner, seeing as they are big Disney stars and all.  Maybe they will invite me to their house even.  Maybe we can spend the day at Granny Mathilde's in the country. Maybe we will all lunch together on Gaspard and Lisa's fave, cheese and baguettes. 

Oh, wait.  They are just cartoons. Rabbit-dogs in scarves are not real.

Okay. 

I have to go finish convincing myself my daughter of that now.  ;-)