China Bound

T minus 2 days until the day I have been dreading since it appeared on my calendar 2 months ago. This Sunday, I leave for a week long trip to China. Alone. Well, not completely alone. I'll have my boss with me since it's a trip for work and she knows that if she didn't go, I wouldn't show up for the flight. But I will be alone in the sense that my baby boy will not be with me for only the second time since he was born. The first time was my one-nighter to New Jersey back in August. This one is going to be a five-nighter. FIVE NIGHTS PEOPLE. And if you want to get technical, I'll actually be gone six nights, but with the time change I end up spending one "night" on the plane. And although there's not that much of a difference, five sounds like a lot less time than six so I'm going with it. 

I'm trying really hard to be excited about the trip. I mean, I am excited of course, but at the same time I don't want to leave Greyden for that long. By the time I get back he'll probably walking, talking, and riding a bike. Or even driving a car. (But I can guarantee he won't have all of his teeth yet. God forbid he be done teething by the time I get back.) However, they're called once in a lifetime opportunities for a reason, so I'm sucking it up and going. Little does my boss know, I'll be spending the majority of the trip hanging onto her pant leg and wallowing in my sorrow if she doesn't keep me busy at all times. Therefore we are going to PAR-TAY every night until the cows (pandas?) come home. Get your game face on, Barb.

Practically before my trip was even booked, Kevin had decided that a week straight of caring for Junior on his own was a definite no-go and had his parents booked to come down for the week. (He used the excuse that he might have to travel for work. Riiiiight.) So my in-laws are scheduled to land on Saturday afternoon for their week-long babysitting extravaganza. That alone is enough to make me consider eating the cost of the trip and staying home. A full week of free baby sitting? Like, the kind that means that Kevin and I can actually go out without a baby in tow? Maybe have a conversation? I can't even remember what that's like. What would we even talk about? Last week we went out for dinner and ended up spending the entire time turning Junior back around in his high chair and sitting him down before he fell out. Why the kid insists on being backward in it (or standing in it), I'll never know. We swore right then and there that we were never eating out again.

The trip couldn't have come at a worse time in terms of the mommy stuff I have to do. For one thing, Junior's birthday is the weekend after I get back. And since my usual plan for birthdays (beer at Buffalo Wild Wings) isn't exactly kid-friendly, I had to come up with a Plan B. And then I had to come up a Plan C since Plan B involved me being lazy and doing a family (Kevin+Leah+Greyden) only party since I figured he wouldn't remember it anyway. It was only after my friends revolted and told me that I have to do something for it that Plan C was born. Now preparations are in full swing for Greyden's 1st birthday party! The invitations have been sent and we're on the calendar for October 30th. Well, the Evites have been sent anyway. I'm lazy just trying to do my part to save the planet. (Although the number of trees that I saved by not doing paper invitations may be negated by the fact that I have over $150 in paper and plastic decorations headed my way as we speak. This party is going to rock.) I'm even considering baking his cake myself. I mean, my mom made hundreds of cakes as a side business when I was a kid, so I have a lot of experience. Okay, most of my experience was in licking the beaters, but some of it had to have rubbed off, right? And since I tricked my friends into giving up their Sunday by disguising the party as a birthday/football party for the Texans game, there will even be quite a few guests. Although I just remembered that I forgot to note that Greyden only likes quiet toys on the invite. Which is why he is getting a Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair from Daddy and me, along with something he can climb on. He's getting a little heavy for the bottom shelf of my wine rack....







This is what happens when you (okay, I) turn my back for 10 seconds:

And if he's not scaling either of those, he can probably be found trying to hike our headboard in the master bedroom. Thank God for pillow top mattresses. So yes, he's getting something to climb on. I am also seeing a guitar in his future.

Phyllis would prefer that we got him a new cat to torture.

Or we could just save our money and get him more foam sticks to play with.

We also have his 1 year pictures scheduled for the day before his birthday party. Of course he doesn't fit in anything he currently has so I need to make a shopping trip before I leave. On top of that, I just found out yesterday that he's having school pictures done the week I come back too. And of course we decided to get a family picture done at the same time so Kevin and I are going to need to find clothes too. I have a feeling I'm going to be doing some major jet-lagged shopping when I get back. Fun.

And if we're really feeling motivated, Kevin and I may even find time to celebrate our 7th anniversary that weekend. Although I highly doubt we'll be able to work in a dinner out. But we'll see what happens.

Until then, wish me luck next week! I have a feeling I'm going to need it.