A little R&R

Rick had last week off, so we decided to celebrate it by taking the kids out of school and heading down to SLC for a little R&R.  I have been feeling a little stressed out. Motherhood can be exhausting at times (go figure) and it feels a little bit like ground hog day - the same thing over and over and over and over again!

It has been a long time since we have taken a vacation - like a real vacation. Of course we have been to China, but anyone who has been there for an adoption trip knows it is no vacation. Lately I keep thinking I want a vacation but knowing all too well that my next vacation will be to China again. I guess I have felt a little panicky - when will I ever have a "real" vacation again?

But I discovered something while in SLC. I didn't necessarily need a vacation from my family but more from myself. It is so easy to fall into the I am the mom who gets things done trap - the house is clean, the kids are at their activities, the kids are in bed, I'm back in the car, blah blah blah. It had been a really long time since I took "a vacation from my problems" (thank you Bill Murray and What About Bob). So I took a vacation from that mom and became the fun mom. I focused mostly on the girls this weekend, and we did lots of girly things. We went to lunch, went shopping, got our nails done, ate cupcakes, went to dinner and finished things off by going to see Ballet West perform "Sleeping Beauty"(which was absolutely fantastic!!!!) We invited my dad, Pop to my kids, to join us for dinner and the ballet. He is a great man and so much fun!

We had such a great time bonding and having fun. I am a  new person and that was a super easy fix!

Thank you Sweet Tooth Fairy!

Capital Theater with Pop and my girls

My dad with his biggest fan club

This was also a pretty big weekend for Cora. She auditioned for Ballet West's summer intensive. She was pretty much freaked and scared out of her head, but after a great pep talk from Pop, she pulled herself together, faced a fear, and knocked their socks off at the audition. That was a proud parenting moment! I could not be more proud of my beautiful girl.Way to go Cora!!!

Walking into her audition!