Escape: not just a song about pina coladas

In just under 6 hours (not that I'm counting or anything), I will tuck my last child into bed and slip out the front door, where my friend Cynthia will be waiting in the getaway car. We'll drive away as fast as we can to our destination -- a beachfront resort and spa only 45 minutes from here physically, but a lifetime away mentally. The rest of the group will meet us there.

It's raining today and the rest of the weekend's forecast is looking sketchy at best, so reading a book on the beach may have to be crossed off of my agenda. No big deal -- maybe I'll take a nap instead or, more likely, we'll just start drinking earlier in the day. My hot stone massage is scheduled for 10:30 tomorrow morning and my facial for 12:30 on Sunday. In between, fattening meals, a nearby town with great shopping, the bar and the spa facilities should keep me busy. I look forward to talking to the interesting and intelligent women I usually enjoy mothering with about things that have nothing to do with mothering at all. I can't wait to share some adult beverages with the friends who I usually see sponging up spilled juice boxes. I'm curious to see a side of these people I've never had enough uninterrupted time to explore. And in between the laughter and the good conversation, I look forward to some moments alone, when all I have to think about is me. We all do. Six women sprung from the daily demands of stay-at-home-motherhood are bound to feel one heck of a high as we sip our morning coffee in peace and read the paper cover-to-cover without sticky fingers ripping it away to make confetti.

Yes, a fine trip is in store for us, and I can't wait for it to begin. And yet, I must confess that I'm a little sad about the prospect of a weekend without sloppy kisses, clingy hugs or the ever-present closeness of the children whose persistent demands really just signify their love for me. I'm going to miss my kids. I can walk away from motherhood for the weekend, but I know I can't just leave it behind. And that, when it all comes down to it, might the best part about getting away -- it makes the coming home and the mundane days that follow all the more sweet. It's going to be a great weekend. But next week, when I'm reenergized by some time away and the joy of reconnecting with my children? It's possible that I'm looking forward to that even more.