Although Mr Geek and I have taken trips away from Miss Chief individually (me for business, him for a funeral), we've never gone away together and left her with someone else. Now that my sister lives so close- about an hour away- and now that our baby girl is three years old (and therefore not a baby anymore), we thought maybe we would risk a night away to relax and enjoy some grown up time before Peanut (my unofficial nickname for Baby Boy) arrives and all thoughts of relaxation go out the window.
Of course, we spent literally the entire time talking about our big girl, wondering if she was enjoying her "spend-the-night" (not a sleepover, a spend-the-night) with her aunt and uncle, hoping she wasn't giving them too much grief about bedtime, planning what we would spend the rest of the weekend doing with her...but still, it was nice to have some time away during which we could have theoretically discussed things other than Elmo. (Somehow, while waiting for our fancy grownup entrees to arrive at dinner, we found ourselves discussing our favorite Sesame Street episodes. I think maybe we need therapy.)
I did not receive a single panicked phone call or desperate text from my amazing sister, and everyone enjoyed the special Friday night. We were back by 10 am the next morning- turns out there is literally nothing to do in Fredericksburg on a Saturday morning- so we were only apart for just over 12 hours, but still, this was a big step for us.
We stayed at Kenmore Inn on Princess Anne St in Fredericksburg. I had always considered staying at a bed and breakfast to be something that fancy grownups did, so I figured the weekend after St. Valentine's Day was the perfect time to pretend to be fancy grownups. Although the Inn is but a mere 15 miles from my sister's house in Stafford, it took nearly 45 minutes to drive there on a Friday night. We arrived after 7, giving us just enough time to check in and make ourselves look nice before our 8:00 dinner reservations at the on-site restaurant. The food was delicious, the wine sure smelled good (I'm not gonna lie, I really miss wine, but I don't force Mr Geek to be a tea-totaler while I'm pregnant), and the ambiance was cozy- the perfect place to discuss the logistics of taking the Metro to see Disney on Ice later that weekend. (Yes, that was another topic of conversation at our fancy grownup dinner.) Because the restaurant is in the cellar of the b&b, guests can use the back staircase to get back to their rooms- meaning dinner was just far enough away from our room for me to regret trying to balance my big ol' preggo belly in heels. There was a full-service breakfast the next morning in a quaint little dining room that would be perfect for hosting a small rehearsal dinner for a wedding, and then checkout was simply dropping off the key with the front desk. (There's something so charming about actual keys, rather than key cards.) We had planned to walk around and take in the sights, but the only things open that morning were antique stores (which Mr Geek kind of hates) and coffee shops (but we'd already had breakfast), plus we really did miss our little girl, so we made our way back to pick her up.
The Kenmore Inn sits on property originally owned by George Washington's sister's father-in-law. (How's that for history!) It sustained damage during the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862 but stood strong. Throughout the years it's been a family home, a tavern, a boarding house, a coffee shop, and finally the bed and breakfast it is today. It's really quite a charming house, and is decorated with period antiques. We stayed in the Regal Kenmore room, with a king-sized bed and wood burning fireplace (though we opted not to have it lit as it wasn't really that cold that night). The Inn also has a family-sized suite, so it could be a lovely alternative to a regular hotel if you find yourself needing a place to stay in Fredericksburg- it's not just for romantic getaways!
So tell me- when you're away from your kids, do you spend the whole time talking about them? How old were your little ones before you left them with someone else overnight? Have you ever stayed in a bed and breakfast (and did you feel like a fancy grownup)?
Much love,
The Geeks
Of course, we spent literally the entire time talking about our big girl, wondering if she was enjoying her "spend-the-night" (not a sleepover, a spend-the-night) with her aunt and uncle, hoping she wasn't giving them too much grief about bedtime, planning what we would spend the rest of the weekend doing with her...but still, it was nice to have some time away during which we could have theoretically discussed things other than Elmo. (Somehow, while waiting for our fancy grownup entrees to arrive at dinner, we found ourselves discussing our favorite Sesame Street episodes. I think maybe we need therapy.)
I did not receive a single panicked phone call or desperate text from my amazing sister, and everyone enjoyed the special Friday night. We were back by 10 am the next morning- turns out there is literally nothing to do in Fredericksburg on a Saturday morning- so we were only apart for just over 12 hours, but still, this was a big step for us.
We stayed at Kenmore Inn on Princess Anne St in Fredericksburg. I had always considered staying at a bed and breakfast to be something that fancy grownups did, so I figured the weekend after St. Valentine's Day was the perfect time to pretend to be fancy grownups. Although the Inn is but a mere 15 miles from my sister's house in Stafford, it took nearly 45 minutes to drive there on a Friday night. We arrived after 7, giving us just enough time to check in and make ourselves look nice before our 8:00 dinner reservations at the on-site restaurant. The food was delicious, the wine sure smelled good (I'm not gonna lie, I really miss wine, but I don't force Mr Geek to be a tea-totaler while I'm pregnant), and the ambiance was cozy- the perfect place to discuss the logistics of taking the Metro to see Disney on Ice later that weekend. (Yes, that was another topic of conversation at our fancy grownup dinner.) Because the restaurant is in the cellar of the b&b, guests can use the back staircase to get back to their rooms- meaning dinner was just far enough away from our room for me to regret trying to balance my big ol' preggo belly in heels. There was a full-service breakfast the next morning in a quaint little dining room that would be perfect for hosting a small rehearsal dinner for a wedding, and then checkout was simply dropping off the key with the front desk. (There's something so charming about actual keys, rather than key cards.) We had planned to walk around and take in the sights, but the only things open that morning were antique stores (which Mr Geek kind of hates) and coffee shops (but we'd already had breakfast), plus we really did miss our little girl, so we made our way back to pick her up.
The Kenmore Inn sits on property originally owned by George Washington's sister's father-in-law. (How's that for history!) It sustained damage during the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862 but stood strong. Throughout the years it's been a family home, a tavern, a boarding house, a coffee shop, and finally the bed and breakfast it is today. It's really quite a charming house, and is decorated with period antiques. We stayed in the Regal Kenmore room, with a king-sized bed and wood burning fireplace (though we opted not to have it lit as it wasn't really that cold that night). The Inn also has a family-sized suite, so it could be a lovely alternative to a regular hotel if you find yourself needing a place to stay in Fredericksburg- it's not just for romantic getaways!
So tell me- when you're away from your kids, do you spend the whole time talking about them? How old were your little ones before you left them with someone else overnight? Have you ever stayed in a bed and breakfast (and did you feel like a fancy grownup)?
Much love,
The Geeks
That's so neat that you had a little getaway! B&Bs are lovely. I've only stayed in one or two B&Bs ever, but it's such a great experience, and I'd love to do it again sometime! Our little guy is 8 1/2 months and still nurses a ton, so we haven't done an overnight away. Actually, the longest I've been away from him is 2 hours (when my husband was off work the other day, I relegated him to "baby duty" so I could escape to a coffee shop to write). Someday, though, when he's older, I'd love to do an overnight trip away with my husband!
ReplyDeleteWe had to start leaving our girl at daycare during the day at 3 months :( Just before that, I think we took one afternoon movie date? Maybe two? For a few hours while grandparents were in town. I didn't take any business trips until she was about 13 months and even that seemed too soon >.<
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