Ahhhhhhloha

Aspie parents...listen up! I have something important to tell you.

You need to take a vacation away from your children!

Steve and I just spent a week in Hawaii, and it was wonderful. We slept late (past 6 a.m.), ate what we wanted when we wanted, relaxed, listened to the ocean, and completely avoided doing anything on a schedule.

We hung out at the beach. We went snorkeling and swam next to a sea turtle! We climbed Diamond Head and hiked to waterfalls. Not once did we here a complaint about how hard it was or that what we were doing was boring. Although, Steve did role his eyes at me when I dragged him along on the third shopping trip. And I did give him a hard time after he lost two pairs of sunglasses in less than 30 minutes. These criticisms were given and received in good humor, adding to the charmed moments of the week.

I am not suggesting that going to a tropical island will make all your troubles go away. It won't. The troubles will still be there waiting for you at home. But at least you'll have time to catch your breath, catch up on your sleep, and catch each other for more than just a good-night kiss. Spending extensive time alone with your spouse helps to strengthen the team. It reminds you why you got married to begin with.

With that said, I have to admit that I missed the kids terribly! Ian did great with my parents and always seemed happy to talk to me on the phone. Ainsley was so heartbroken that she wouldn't speak to me at all. I had to go an entire week without hearing her beautiful voice. If we had been just a couple of hours away, I would have cut short the vacation just to be back with my babies. The lesson here: You deserve a week off to rejuvenate your soul. Go far enough away that you cannot return home easily if you are tempted by the powerful forces of parenthood. If necessary, don't call home! Your stress level needs time to decompress. Daily phone calls may not be helpful to you or the kids, and they certainly can make things worse.

Do this. Take a grown-up vacation. You need one. You deserve one. Do it now. Because I said so.