ON BEING AWAY FROM THE ELDEST BABES FOR THE 1st TIME

This weekend the Papa and I headed to Osheaga Music Festival in Montreal.  The trip had been planned as a birthday present for the Papa.  We had fallen in love with Mumford and Sons.  They were a headlining show.  We had to go.  

The Babes were initially going to all come.  The daunting task of trucking them around the metro and the festival didn't even register.  But when the g-units offered to take the Eldest ones I jumped at the offer.  I have had many years to relish in my Babes.  There will be so many more.  But after a year without vacation, the exhaustion and sleep deprivation that comes with raising three amazing, spirited babes, I think I am in an emotional place to leave my babes without anguish or despair.  I truly believe that the Papa and I deserve it.  And quite frankly, although I plan on homeschooling my babes concurrently with their education at a more natural school, the desire to fulfill my heart and desires has been occupying a lot of my thoughts (but I will explain that at another time).

The Eldest babe is my most sensitive babe.  She gets anxious easily.  She doesn't do well with sudden change.  As the day approached, we made little mention of our leaving.  The morning of their departure the Papa and they packed their little suitcases (soup cases as the Biggest/Little says).  The excitement of a journey eased the transition.  For all of us, it was the first time we weren't sharing an experience. The fact that we each were going to be embarking on our own adventures that we could talk about later (oh and the prospect of Hello Kitty gifts from China town) sweetened the deal.

The Papa and I, along with the Littlest, had the best weekend ever as a couple.   We didn't stop moving.  Metro, festival, tours of the Notre Dame cathedral, vegan eats at Bonny's.  We packed a lot in.  When the weekend ended however, we were craving our Babes.  The g-units offered to feed them dinner and being them home but the realization of not seeing them the entire weekend dawned on us and we drove an hour out of our way to see their little faces.  I'm glad we did....

They had an epic time.  When they saw us they immediately ran.  The Eldest Babe had presented me with a bag full of literally 30 drawings, her best yet, as a gift.  There were hugs, love, kisses and an appreciation for each other.  It was amazing.

And while I am not sure how other mamas feel leaving their babes, our voyages of independence truly did bring us closer and help us grow.  It was lovely and I wouldn't mind making it a yearly tradition.