Quick Getaway

A few weeks ago, my mom let me know that she'd be available over this past weekend in case Dylan and I wanted to go out to lunch or something. And then Dylan got the big idea to take our bikes to Sedona, my mom was kind enough to agree to take the boys overnight and I was totally on board with the idea. My boys have clocked more time at Nonna and Papa's house in the past month than they did all last year, I think! We didn't give our little trip much thought until the night before we left because we were preoccupied with 100 other things. Once we got there, we realized that it would be a very, very nice time.

Not only did we fit in one long bike ride and one short one, but we also slept in a quiet hotel room, took a trip to the hot tub, had three meals in restaurants like two regular adults, and enjoyed an adult beverage or two. So, actually, it was perfection. The weather was nice, the drive was easy and it was just the getaway we needed. Before we took off on our adventure, I couldn't really even remember the last time I'd had a conversation with Dylan, so this trip was just what we needed.

The view from the lookout tower at the hotel

Plotting our next ride

I posted that above picture on Instagram with a caption about escaping personal/professional/political life, which was completely inaccurate because I only work two days a week, so escaping professional life isn't really an issue. And, I did the opposite of escape political life. We listened to podcasts, rants and commentary about this political mess, and it left me feeling a little less like everything will be okay. Even Tim Urban added a follow-up to "It's Going to Be Okay," and I could appreciate just about everything he had to say.

I'm especially worried about the environment, among other things. The election results can only mean that me, and all the other former non-fighters, will be called upon to fight for so many important things. And whose fault is all this? And does it matter? Typically, pointing fingers is not constructive, but in this case it's necessary. At it's simplest, it's a multi-factorial issue. However, the elitist attitude of liberals that undoubtedly shamed Trump supporters into silence is probably something. If you really think about it, nobody should have been surprised by his following. Name calling and making assumptions about the way that people are based on who they support doesn't do any good, but taking a stance for/against something in a constructive way can possibly make a difference.

I'm sure a lot of people close to me had hoped that after the election, the feminist in me would simmer down a bit. However, the fire has only just been lit. I think this t-shirt by Wicked Clothes says it best.

...who are more than capable of intellectual thought and decision-making and should be in positions of power and deserve so much better in life and...okay I'll stop.

I guess it's safe to assume that I might bring this up again a time or two because if you can't write about what's really going on in your head, then what is even the point? The good news is that if you're only here to see pictures of my family, at least you can skim over everything else!

I took the boys to the park on Friday, and Gavin spent the entire time jumping off this cement thing into the sand.

We had been awake for such a long time that by 6:30am, Graham was already ready for his first nap.

Good thing he's so cute, or I might not respond so kindly to him starting our day hours before the sun rises.

Anyway, the only bummer of the weekend was that Dylan hardly got to see the boys before he had to turn around and leave again for the whole week. We did fit a few minutes of playtime in the backyard into our Sunday agenda, though. Both boys love their daddy to the moon, and it totally makes sense. He's the best guy. The only problem is that it's kind of a rough adjustment when he goes out of town, and we are so out of the energy it takes to adjust. On a more positive note, once this trip is over, we can be one whole family for a couple weeks. I'm ready for my partner in life to be here and to do life with me. I'd even go so far as to say I'm desperate for it. So many people are out there enduring so much worse and sacrificing so much more, and I try to remember this and feel grateful for my actually pretty cake life when I start to get cranky. Everyone's got their #problems I guess. I'm no good at shouldering the day-to-day by myself, and at the risk of sounding extreme in general and also extremely negative (and co-dependent), I really hate doing it alone. We've got the simplest plans for the weekend, and I couldn't be happier about it. Plus, Dylan agreed to let me decorate for Christmas since we'll be gone for Thanksgiving and the weekend after it, too. Woohoo! But first, let's get through the week. Catch ya later.