another cottage weekend bites the dust...

This weekend we headed up to 'the cottage'. It's practically an entity unto itself, so hence the quotation separation.

It was especially exciting for me as it was Leo's very first 'cottage' experience, and very first cottage experience all together.

[Okay, end of quotations, I'm confusing myself.]

It was great to get away, even though it's not quite that far away. But for a mama on maternity leave, with very little excitement going on in her domesticated existence, it was literally a thrill to engage in something other than the day to day. And to spend some quality and quantity time with my nears and dears. 

As the first and only of that group of friends to have procreated, I was a little worried about the dynamic with a babe around. Not really worried for myself (you learn to adjust to mama life quite quickly), but worried about cramping the cottage style. In other words, being a buzz kill. Fortunately, Leo fit right in and was all about maxin' and relaxin'. He was like our little mascot.

Having him there was not quite the same though. The cottage is a place we've been going to since we were teenagers, and this weekend it was pretty blatantly obvious to me that I am very far gone from my teenage years of 'all about me'. And just as far from my youthful adult years of even more self love. I couldn't quite come and go and drink as I please. A baby can definitely have that "hey you're an adult and old and it's not all about you!" effect. Cries it out to you in middle of the night wakefulness as a result of dance parties going on downstairs. But I wouldn't have it any other way. It's the natural progression. The way of the world. 

But having a baby did not mean that I could not still be silly and stupid and laugh and belt out showtunes and compete in our millionth biannual Drinking Olympics. I still did all of those things. I just had a baby on my hip. Leo, my little accessory. There were slight adjustments of course, the Drinking Olympics now having a baby bedtime delay for example. But I did them. And I did them with my usual pizazz. Because I'm still me, just with more layers. And once in awhile it's good to peel off the layers, strip down to your metaphorical skivvies, and run wild through the winds of days gone by.

Sigh.