Getaway 36 Hours

It's so easy to fall behind on posts but I can't not forget about my overnight trip to Napa (NO KIDS) last weekend. I texted my friend, Kira, on Thursday mentioning that I needed a night away in Napa, and the following day, she had us booked in a hotel in Napa with a facial and a bottle of Champagne. Now, that's a true friend! Love you, Kira! :) We had such a great 36 hours away. We headed up midday and spent the afternoon at the spa, soaking in the hot tub, getting a facial, enjoying a cheese plate and wine outdoors in the sun, followed by a delicious Italian dinner which was recommended by Chef Thomas Keller in some old article. I was so happy to go to sleep and get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep for the first time, probably since Meika's been born. Woke up and lounged in bed, which was such a treat because I usually have to rush to get breakfast on the table, etc. Then we went off to Bouchon Bakery for some morning bakeries and coffee but noticed that Thomas Keller's casual restaurant, Ad Hoc, was just a block way, so we picked up a box of treats for the hubbies and kids and headed off to an elegant Champagne Sunday brunch at Ad Hoc. We were so lucky to get terrace seats on such a beautiful morning... and wow, that corned beef hash dish was good! A little shopping on our way home topped off the trip and I felt like a new person... until I got home and the kids were starving and I needed to get dinner on the table in .3 seconds. :)

         

On the heels of a night away, I realized that we would all benefit if I had a few hours to myself once in a while. So upon my return, we tried a "share sitter" for Meika with a neighborhood friend who has a daughter around the same age. Rather than paying $20 per hour, we would pay $12 each and Meika would have a friend to play with as well. That's what I thought.... so I dropped her off at my friend's house at 9:00am, ran some errands, did some shopping and went to my favorite noodle shop for a quite lunch and went back to pick her up at 1pm. The sitter seemed to be in good spirits and said that Meika only cried a bit when I first left so I was ecstatic. The sitter and I talked about her schedule and what may/may not work for her. A few days later when I followed up with her, she said that the "share sitter" was NOT her thing but that she was happy to just babysit one child at a time. Oh well. So much for trying to be a frugal mom. It just proves that Meika is seriously a handful+.