when the cat's away, the mouse will play.

and by cat, i mean marcus. and by the mouse, i mean the soccer mom.

and by will play, i mean:

1. amazing seats at a killer jays game.
2. a behind the scenes private tour at mtv canada.
3. adult time.
4. adult conversation.
5. jetsetting to ottawa for a few days.
6. a private tour of the parliament buildings. we even got to see the vaults in the basement!
7. learning to play bass guitar. and by learning, i mean holding and playing second string fourth fret.
8. eating more than kale and chicken. maybe even eating pub food in the byward market.
9. taking 5 days off of running + hot yoga.
10. sleeping in.
11. some short but sweet time with the mega don.
12.  unreal company for all of the above.
13. basically, five days that made for awesome + once-in-a-lifetime memories:

i set my alarm early this am. [and by early we're talking 7.] to get my rested, jet-setting buns down the road and squish marcus real.good. it was the first stretch past two days since the big d that marcus and i were apart from each other. we had connected at least once [twice, or thrice. don't judge a mom] a day for the past 5, but i missed him just the same. was i worried about his time spent with his dad? no. obv not. i was a little selfishly concerned tho. it's not easy being the day-in-day-out-organic-loving-laundry-doing-let's-practice-our-alphabet-for-the-hundredthtime-PTA-parent. it's rare that he's truly excited about me the way he is to see his rocking-fun-time-all-the-time-soccer-playing-coldplay-singing-is-it-wednesday-night-yet father. i'm old news. he's fun times from wednesday night to thursday night or every other friday morning. so i may or may not have worried that marcus would see me this morning + be all, no mom, we got this. see you in another week.

not the case. he was perfectly pumped to see me at 7:10 am. he squealed in delight, jumping on the couch and reaching like he could.not.get.his. tiny arms wrapped around my neck fast enough. he giggled in my neck and i sang him my little sweet potato song very quietly into his. it wasn't over the top. which is good. he wasn't DYING to see me. he was genuinely excited to have me back. and to come along home with his mama. i was just as happy to know that he had a well behaved-despite-a-few-poops-in-the-pants week with the old man, complete with decent [non-organic but it's cool i'm just saying no big deal but maybe next time just for kicks?] meals and solid naps, play-time with the cousins and even a big day out at the ontario science center.

so basically? we both won. he had a chance to miss me. i had a chance to recharge + felt smiles across my face + heart that i don't think are going to go away even now that i'm home and back to forts, hot wheels + organic baby gourmet squeezies.

and by forts, i mean bed sheets hanging over kitchen chairs and an unplugged big screen a la homage to earth day. and by hot wheels, i mean enough dinky cars on my living room to start my own tiny parkade if i don't twist my ankle on one first. and by organic baby gourmet squeezies, i mean it's time for a cat nap ;)

-kare
xo