Grown-Up Games

I just sat down and read comments and I have to say that MzOuiser pretty much nailed it. Charlie and I spent the weekend "playing" grown-up games, completely guilt-free. It was blissful. What started out as a day date, turned into an overnighter at my sister's in San Diego, which then turned into a weekend getaway. All without forethought.

I called Lokelani and asked if she and her hubby Phil had any plans on Friday. She mentioned that they were planning to spend the day at the San Diego County Fair, but that she'd love for us to come and join them. So, after leaving lots of numbers, parental type instructions for the kids, and giving the "we trust you,....behave" speeches, we headed south with smiles that wouldn't stop. An hour and a half later, we arrived at my sister's and quickly loaded up and headed to the fairgrounds in beautiful Del Mar. I don't think I need to tell you that we ate our way from one end of the fair to the other. Phil said he could feel his arteries hardening as we spoke. Ahhhhh, fair food; one of the guilty pleasures of summer.

After the fair, we thought we'd go home, rest our old, tired feet a little, and then hit the Indian casino at Barona. It's amazing how much fun you can still have with a roll of nickels. Of course, you don't stop at that one roll, but the giggles of sitting next to my sister as we play slot machines is just priceless. As it turns out, we were a little more tired from the fair than we had anticipated and ended up going to the casino the FOLLOWING day after a quick visit from my brother, Lono. So, Saturday afternoon was spent gaming, then an amazing buffet dinner, then another hour or so of gaming. Before we knew it, it was 6:00 and kids were calling wondering if we were coming home. One suggestion of staying another night with Phil and Loke was all it took. Everything was quiet on the homefront, the kids were handling things well, and actually encouraging us to enjoy every second of our time away. They kept saying to us on the phone; "You guys deserve this. Don't worry, everything's fine, and NO, we're not having parties." So, with the generous hospitality of Loke and Phil, we enjoyed another night worry-free joy.

We sat out on their patio, overlooking the beautiful Lakeside valley and watching the squirrels romp in the open fields and talked and laughed for hours. We enjoyed each other's company over Margaritas, and they let Charlie talk and talk and let out all of his frustrations and worries over all of the things he's been having to deal with lately with his mom, work, and whatnot. It was completely therapeutic and much needed. We talked into the wee hours, knowing full well that the morning would bring the end of our grown-up weekend. Come Sunday, with a pouty face, I hugged my sister with an overflowing heart and thanked her. I don't think she or Phil know to what extent they've come to be as loved and precious as they are to us. But they are and I miss them already.

We got home to a clean house, three sleepy-eyed kids who I'm sure had a blast while we were gone, and lots of hugs. Tired and content, Charlie and I sacked out on the couch for the remainder of the day, looking over at one another every now and then and smiling. Good times. Way overdue.