When Mommy Travels

I have been home with my twins for five years now.

I don't mean to insinuate that we never leave the house. I don't even mean to say that I haven't gone on trips without them. I just mean that for for five years I have been the primary caregiver. I have either been a stay at home parent or a work at home parent for their entire lives.

I am fortunate enough to have a wonderful husband who doesn't mind that I now travel for work. (Yes, I blog as a career. I know, life is tough, right?) I am also lucky enough to have parents and in-laws who are always ready and willing to help take care of our children whenever we need anything.

To be fair, sometimes they are willing to help even if we just want to do something. Yes, I am fully aware that I am one of the luckiest people in the world.

My point is that I spend a lot of time with my children. A LOT. Seriously, me and the kids are together ad nauseum. Sometimes it is nice for us to get away from each other. I need a break from them and they need a break from me.

Plus, when Grandma is with them all day long they get to do pretty much whatever they want. (I mean that in the nicest possible way. Grandparents are supposed to spoil their grandchildren. It is part of the circle of life.)

Usually when I travel for blogging business the kids don't seem to miss me at all.

Somehow this time has been different. They are fine all day long, but at bedtime my son wants a lullaby.

The lullaby can only be sung by me.

I feel like Faith Hill in that old cell phone commercial that always made me so mad.

Two nights ago it was in over in the quiet area by the restrooms at the Pittsburgh meet up. Last night it was in a corner near the front door of The Greenhouse Tavern. Tonight I stood in front of Lola singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to my son while my dining companions ate dessert.

It is fun to go on road trips to blogging conventions. It is fun to be a grown up for a couple of days. I enjoy going for more than 24 hours without having anybody wipe their nose on my shirt and being able to go to the bathroom without having someone walk in who has an urgent need for a banana.

But even at BlogHer, where I can talk about social media and blogging platforms and streaming video  I never stop being a mommy.

I wouldn't want it any other way.

Goon Squad Sarah's other work can be found on Sarah and the Goon Squad, Draft Day Suit, DC Metro Moms Blog, MamaPop, BlogHer, and Loser Moms.

Comments

[clumberkim]

There was an episode of ER when Dr Susan Lewis recites from memory "Hippos Go Beserk" over the phone to her child who is in need of a bedtime story from Mom. I thought that was crazy. It was 10 days after my son was born. I didn't get it yet.

Our Music Together instructor does a chant on the first week of the session to remind parents that young children are "hardwired" to hear their parents' voices. I can't sing to save my life but Eleanor asks me to sing whenever I put her to bed. There's no other explanation for it.