>Taking This Show on the Road

Currently, I’m all alone in a hotel room in San Francisco, preparing to shoot another series of Backtalk videos tomorrow. With travel taken into consideration, I will basically be away from my family for three full days. I know at this point, I’m supposed to cry a little and talk about how much I miss them. But I have to be honest.

It’s sort of awesome.

I can’t remember the last time I had a whole evening to myself, to do whatever I wanted. First, I ordered room service, then I curled up in my king-sized bed and watched Jon and Kate Plus Eight on the enormous plasma monitor.

Tonight, I’ll sleep without a baby monitor inches from my head. And since San Francisco time is a full two hours behind my own, I’ll fall asleep early and wake up when I’m good and ready, as opposed to when my son wakes at the ass crack of dawn and begins shouting my name.

Now, y’all know I love my family. I love them with all my heart. I think my kids are as wonderful as any kids in the whole entire world, and I actually look very, very forward to every single moment I get to spend with my husband.

But even moms need a vacation sometimes. And I guess this is as close to a vacation as I’m going to get.

Until next weekend, anyway. But you’ll have to just stay tuned for the lowdown on that.

Of course, I did suffer a pang of guilt when I talked to my daughter on the phone this evening. Hubs had told me she was sad and that she missed me. Punky and I talked for a bit and she felt better. But she still had a few questions for me.

“Are you working, Mommy?” she asked.

“Yes, honey, I am.”

“Are you at Starbucks or somefing?” she wanted to know. Starbucks, for those of you who don’t know, is basically my office.

“No,” I laughed. “Actually, I rode an airplane today.”

“Well,” she paused for a moment. “Why don’t you just quit work? I miss you so much.”

“Because then we wouldn’t have any money to buy toys with,” I told her.

“But Mommy,” she said, “Daddy makes the money!”

I giggled. “You be sure and tell him that,” I said. “Ask him why Mommy can’t quit, since he earns the money.”

After that, I promised to snuggle with her when I get back all. Day. Long. I think her exact words were, “Oh Yay! Yay! Yay!”

I’m really glad I’m writing this stuff down now. It will be a little something to lift my spirits down the road when they are teenagers and hate my guts.

This post originally appeared on Parents.com.