TO THE MOM WHO HASN'T MADE IT TO SPRING BREAK BLISS

image by sydney clawson

It’s spring break. The stubborn sun is starting to show its beautiful face again. The flowers are blooming. The wind is a breezy cool, but subtle. The neighbors are at the lake house. The bestie is headed to London with her tribe. And your co-worker is paddle boarding in Miami with a margarita on the edge of her board. And you? Got a husband out of town, two toddlers with 103 fevers, double ear infections and zero family in town to help. Oh and school is out. And it’s spring break 2019.

If your instagram is inundated with snaps of said paddle boarders, or skiing in fresh powder in Aspen, or wandering Disney with Grandma and Grandpa in tow, I’m with you sister. Me, neither. 

Newsflash. Not everyone is on spring break bliss. Some of us haven’t hit that sexy stride in 2019. 

And yes, it might feel like it sucks.

But mama, it’s ok.

The kids are all right. 

Everything is gonna be fine.

Despite your feed.

And here’s why.

Exactly one week ago while prepping for my California spring break with the fam, my toddler (twin A) came down with a fever of 103.5. I was scared and saddened for him, but at 2 in the morning despite his wishes to remain in bed, I put him in a lukewarm bath and got that damn fever down. And down it went. He wouldn’t take tylenol, so I spent the last 4 hours before sunrise, next to him, playing nurse administering cold compress after cold compress to his head, his neck, his back, his tummy. It was miserable. Didn’t sleep a wink. Doctor visit the next day, and a double ear infection later, we started our meds and I finished our packing. 

Cue to 4 days later, the night before our flight, at approximately 2 am on the dot, his brother (twin B) had a fever of 103.5, followed by a lukewarm bath, lots of crying, and a mama’s fear and acceptance of an identical possible diagnosis. And wallah, double  ear infection it was, and our 2 pm flights were canceled. 

Sigh.

Also crying.

What about Disneyland and Laguna Beach with his cousins and pancakes with Grandma and Grandpa? What about me seeing friends in Hollywood and actually having family watch the kids while I get a pedicure? Why? Why is this happening?

So spring break fail. No spring break bliss here.

Life sucks and then you die.

NOPE. Sister, chin up. Nobody dying here.

It’s just our season. It’s the comedic timing of one child crying on the couch with a fever, and one child pooping his pants in the kitchen while you’re just trying to heat up chicken nuggets for dinner. 

It’s the season of toddlerhood and multiple children (and multiples in my case) and just a whole lot of unfortunate timing and circumstance and it’s just not the spring break bliss we were looking forward to.

But one day we will mama.

One day when our kids are a little bigger and more manageable and not so sick, and the timing works out and the weather is perfect and the rainbow is right there over our head, we’ll see it.

And it will be spring break bliss.

Hashtag, #oneday.

For now, we can rest knowing that we are home. In a safe, clean environment, nursing our kids back to health, taking them to the zoo and to the science museum and whole foods for pizza and our cozy sofa for massive amounts of snuggles and kisses. No airport baggage lines, security checks, no uber rides and no airplane rides this spring break mama. 

And actually, the spring break bliss is kinda right here.

In your arms. Wiping snot on your chest and saying “mama, hold you.” Staring right into your eyes looking at you like the stunning goddess that you are.

Stay right here. 

Hold tight sister.

We won’t forget this spring break 2019. Ever.

There’s always next year. Love you bye.