Out of the Frying Pan & Into the Fire

My tank was dangerously near empty this a.m., having been sucked dry by my boys this week, and when Kevin returned from a 13-miler, he noticed.

I was a bit, well, cranky. Or, crankier than usual.

So, being a smart man, he said "I got the boys ... why don't you get out of the house for a spell?"

He didn't really say 'spell,' but I knew what he meant, so off I went and didn't let the door hit me on my way out.

As futile as I knew it would be, I walked right into my local nail salon and asked for a manicure and 15-minute chair massage. Futile because paint on my nails lasts about three hours before chipping, and a 15-minute chair massage is a mean tease to the ol' kinks and knots.

But, it was time to myself, and I wanted the hour calorie-free indulgence.

So did a gaggle of preteen girls, apparently. Gangly and awkward and cute all at the same time, the five were there for one of the 11-year-old's birthday party. Pedis and manis were being rendered. The party was going to continue with a stop over at the birthday girl's house, where a few other girls were going to join them, then off to see a movie, then out to eat, then back to the birthday girl's house for a sleepover.

Whew. Lucky girls. Crazy, not to mention generous, parents.

Apparently it was a close call between Ramona and Beezus or Cats and Dogs. (Could I recommend The Other Guys to you girls? Hilarious! I, too, learned to dance sarcastically. No? Mom won't letcha? Yeah, she's probably right.)

That conversation was weaved into several others I was able to listen to during my pampering, including an enlightening discussion of the merits of lip gloss, and a debate about whether a $3 eye shadow was a legitimate 'emergency' and appropriate to be purchased with the $20 one girl's parents gave her for 'emergencies.'

Lightheaded from my massage and with pretty red, clean, short nails, I continued my walk in town, running a few kid-free errands, and was home within two hours of leaving, feeling refreshed and calm.

And while I enjoyed my peak into the world of girls, I was very thankful to be mothering three boys. I've never been much into lip gloss or eye shadow.