Finding time to play as a working mother with two young boys is more difficult than scheduling a hair appointment with a top stylist.
Because of this, my 3 girlfriends and I have designated 4 days each summer as a ‘Mummy-away’. We usually choose a driving destination that is at least 2 hours away (any closer and we may be tempted to dash home if Junior is running a slight fever). During these 4 days we play. We are no longer wives and mummies, we are just four women looking to cause havoc in some small unsuspecting town.
No weekend designated to play would be complete without indulging in all our alter egos (the kid, the pig, the flirt, and the old lady)
The Kid 
Remember being 9 years old and creeping up to a home, knocking on the door and then dashing away? We called it ‘Nicky Nicky Nine Door’.
‘Nicky’ is extremely annoying to the homeowner but oh what fun for the kid! Well, we play a few rounds of ‘Nicky’ on the other guests in our hotel/Inn. It doesn’t matter if you are pregnant (we’ve all been at one point or another during our weekend getaway) or recovering from a broken leg (my friend Dee learned to move fast on those crutches) or if you refuse to play (what are you going to do? Stand there?) Everyone participates. I would be lying if I told you that we’ve never been caught - we have and the person was not amused to find 4 full grown women dashing away. But the sheer excitement of this game tempts us every year.
To act like a 9 year old has its bonuses: great cardio workout, hours spent reminiscing about the deed and a camaraderie that is shared as we knock and dash while stifling our laughter.
The Pig 
Diet? Forget about it! Lactose intolerant?
Here, have another scoop of ice cream.
During our weekend away anything goes (gastro-wise of course) now is the time to indulge in all the little ‘no-no’s’ that tempt us all year. In our hotel room there is always a corner dedicated to cheese sticks, chips, 40 pounds of chocolate, and (of course) a few bottles of red wine. We also visit at least 4 restaurants per day (we somehow end up having two dinners). Talking about calorie counts, fat grams or points is strictly prohibited.
Here, have another slice of pizza...
The Flirt 
We are more prone these days to scale this area back but there has yet to be a weekend ‘Mummy-away’ that does not include a little bit of flirting.
In our younger unmarried, un-mummy years it would be spent in bars/clubs/lounges in the town we were terrorizing. But nowadays we have to find our thrills where we can get them. It may be a simple honk from our car to a group of construction workers, or an innuendo to the gentleman who checks us into our rooms. No matter how tame (or lame) no weekend is complete without one of us bothering some man with a tap on his shoulder and blurting out ‘she likes you’ as you point to one of your unsuspecting friends.
I know we are no longer pre-teens but it’s wonderful to reach back and play as one.
The Old Lady 
If you’ve ever meandered around in a shop dedicated to hand knit doilies then you know how to be an old lady. We always spent a good part of our weekend poking around in antique shops, craft stores, or causing a ruckus in teashops. This part of our play really lowers our stress and we understand that playing like a senior citizen has it’s own quiet rewards.
Having satisfied all four of our beings we are refreshed, recharged and ready to face our hectic yet wonderful lives for another year. During our time away we do spend many hours talking about our spouses/children/careers but we try to keep that to a minimum.
After all, there are new guests in room 209 that need to be reminded that not only children know how to play!
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