…with the idea that we might actually go away for one whole week next year without the girls. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to my few loyal readers, as I’ve mentioned it in several blog entries over the last week or so.

But honestly, every time the girls exasperate me (which happens at least once or twice a day), I try to take a deep breath and tell myself that in approximately one year, if all goes well, my husband and I will be boarding a plane to some exotic, sinfully extravagant vacation while my mom – god bless her and her continued good health (I don’t actually know if god will bless her, since I’m an atheist heathen, but it can’t hurt to try) – keeps the girls occupied in our absence.

Every once in a while over the past few days I thought that it would be fun to bring the girls with us on this milestone adventure. But even my mom tells us we’d be crazy to do it (and she must really believe that, considering that she’ll be the one stuck with Chloe and Sophie if we choose to travel sans kids). And every time that warm-hearted thought of a family vacation crossed my mind, one of our darling daughters sabotaged it with her behavior. Needless to say, I am now 100% convinced that we’d be certifiably crazy to pack their bags along with ours.

Which means that we’re free to fantasize and contemplate the most luxurious vacation we’ve ever had. Frankly, I’m giddy about it. Giddy enough for two, which is a good thing, because my husband has yet to display any kind of emotion over the idea of this trip, except to say that he wants to go to Tahiti. Which is very helpful, of course, because we all know how much fun a weeklong vacation essentially spent inside a plane cabin would be…