All or Nothing

It seems as though I would skip a week of posting if my life were incredibly boring...as if I had nothing to post about except for laundry and whining kids. In fact, I was surprised to find the reverse to be true. There has been so much activity chez nous these days, that I don't even know what happened to the last week!
Aside from my Bejeweled addiction, we have been to Birmingham for a few days. My girlfriend, MT and her two kids, my two kids, and I went for just an overnight trip. Which, as usual was a mixed bag. We took the kids to the Science Center and to the Birmingham Zoo. Both of which I thought were worthwhile destinations. The annoying part is that I kept having to remind the kids that we were on this vacation FOR THEM. It's as though the whiners think I dragged them to the zoo because I was dying to see the lemur exhibit and do my King Julien from Madagascar voice. (Which, of course, I kind of was, but certainly would have been content to do my voice from, say a spa whirlpool somewhere). This was also the first time that I have ever traveled with some one from outside our family. That element of the trip was really successful. I want to give full props to my friend MT. She was, as usual, fantastically organized, and tolerated my (as usual) slight lack thereof. She is earnest in disciplining her kids so that they do not run around like wild things. She is also comfortable giving my kids a stern talking to, which is helpful when parents are outnumbered by kids 2 to 1. She was a great sport while navigating the insanity that is the inner highway loop around Birmingham. And, this is no surprise, is a great martini partner.
In fact, as I was lying in my bed at 3:30 in the morning--sleeping S seemed to be able to locate my kidneys with his feet with consistency--I was thinking how great the trip would have been with a non-kid-friendly destination. Like a casino. Or spa. Or tropical beach with cabana boys. MT would be a great tropical beach with cabana boy travel companion. Maybe next trip, we can convince the hubbies that a girls' trip to Biloxi, Point Clear, or St. Croix is absolutely essential. I promise not to complain about the heat, the walking distance, the food, the sleeping arrangements, shower arrangements, sibling issues, the long car ride, the fading batteries in the hand held game, the reflection of the DVD player screen, or anything else that kids find interfering in their vacation enjoyment.
If MT comes with me on a girls' trip, I promise to shut up, drink my margarita, and not get lost. Now THAT sounds like a vacation...
Thanks, MT for a fun trip despite the kids, and here's hoping for a grown up one soon. Cheers!