I would just like to say that I caught a bug in New York, felt progressively worse during the trip and now have a full-fledged nasty cold with all the attendant crud. I feel like Nutmeg looks right now: over it.

I know that a cold is an extremely silly thing to whine about in the grand scheme of things, but I dropped Mom and Ol at the airport today at 12:30 and have, for the first time, in a good year, five days off from motherhood. I spent all day in bed and do not want to spend my whole break like that.

BOO! on chest congestion and sinus face-ache and mounds of used tissues looking like so much snow. BOO! on dulled taste buds and weak limbs and no clinking of glasses with me olde hubs in celebration of this rare break.

At least the boys are thrilled to be in Louisiana, commencing their annual Big Boys Week with a trip to the pool and races with pint-sized battery-powered cars and junk food and going to bed late. And at least there are many episodes of The Americans to be watched.

I said to Ol today, "Honey, I'm sure going to miss you." And he said, "Well, I have to go, but I will come back." HAH!

Y'all, I am blissed out right now. Positively floating on air. The luxury of having no schedule to consider is difficult to articulate. Last night, I stayed up reading until midnight because I knew I could sleep as late as I wanted to this morning. I finished three sections of the paper in one sitting!

Today, I painted another stripe on Ol's wall and was then seized by a wild urge to dress up and go shopping. So I did. I bought a pretty dress for BlogHer and had the lady at the makeup counter teach me for the 67th time how to apply eye shadow because I'm an imbecile in that department. I strolled around aimlessly, free as a bird, a smile in every exhale.

Afterwards, I talked to my sister for a full hour and brought a piece of cake to a friend. Now, still bedazzled from the neck up (because really, why stop with eyes when an enthused artiste has makeup brushes in hand?), I'm in pajamas and on the couch next to snoring pets.

I simply don't think I could be happier.

Perhaps you're wondering how in god's name I could be living such a life right now. Because the children are in Louisiana with my parents for the annual Big Boys Week. Everyone is thrilled.

For five glorious days, I don't have to be rested and ready to go by 6:15am. I don't have to pack lunches and get slow-moving kids to camp. I don't have anyone to pick up, and I'm not hosting any play dates. No arguments, spills, tears, Pokemon or appointments. Thoughts aren't chased away by chatter and demands. Books come back to life as more than dust-gatherers. It's so quiet and still.

The joy I'll feel when I see my boys again on Sunday will be immense, but until then I am relishing this time and space. I am grateful for every second that I get to slow down and listen to my self and do just what I want.