I should probably start this post by making my adoration of my girls clear. I think my kids are pretty much the coolest. Even starting to talk about them is a wee bit dangerous because I’ve been known to gush when it comes to how hilarious, talented, kind, dynamic, interesting, resilient, courageous, and delightfully odd they are. (Gushing mostly averted.)

That being said, Brian and I will be enjoying some just-us time over the next couple days. When I first began thinking of trying to make arrangements for a weekend alone with my husband, I felt a bit guilty about it. I didn’t want my girls to think I didn’t love them and love being around them. I also knew they don’t generally relish the thought of going somewhere else for a weekend. I like to do all I can to make their lives pleasant and happy, and I worried that I was not being a good mom if Brian and I took some time for ourselves.

When one of my girls complained about having to spend the weekend away, I shared the reasons why spending time alone as a couple and as adults is important to Brian and me with her. I talked about how we spend a lot of time (rightfully) providing everything they need and some of what they want. A great deal of our hours revolve around them. We put in a lot of energy and effort to make sure we are the best possible parents to them. I explained that we need to take some time, every now and again, to build back up our energy reserves, to have fun as just us. I also shared that the health of the parents’ relationship is the foundation on which the health and happiness of the whole family is built and so it was important for us to nourish our relationship every day in small ways and also sometimes carve out large chunks of time for us-ness.

In explaining to my girls why it is important for Brian and I to spend some time away from them, I reminded myself of that importance, and my guilt over choosing to spend time alone with my husband evaporated. We love our girls and I know we will both miss them. But I’m excited about the small adventures we have planned for the kid-free weekend. Tonight were going to listen to live music and tomorrow we are going to make beef stroganoff with tons of mushrooms and onions. (Both girls hate mushrooms and onions, so we don’t put either ingredient in food as often as we’d like.) We’ll refresh ourselves with sleeping in and watching whatever we want on the TV in the living room at all hours of the day or night. We’ll laugh and talk and probably have at least one tickle fight. And we’ll miss our girls and text them and talk about how they’re doing and how we hope they’re having fun and hug them tight when we’re reunited again and all back home as a happy family of four. Let the weekend fun commence!