A Weekend in Dallas

For some reason its taken me well over a week to post about our trip to Dallas. Its funny how you can leave for two and half days, and when you come back, it seems like there is so much to do. Or maybe its just that I'm always adding to my "to do list." I think once I am in motion, its easy to keep going. Until I crash. Last week I felt like I did something every day besides the normal. Like traveling into Fayetteville with Andrew to buy in bulk at our natural food store. Then we tried two new recipes for our "whole foods" eating change. Which I want to write about that a little as well. I think last week hit me this week. I have felt so tired every morning. It hasn't helped that Blanche got up at six am on Monday and Tuesday. But today we seem to be getting back into the swing of things.

So, as I was about to say… we went to Dallas two weekends ago. Andrew's best friend from his childhood was getting married and Andrew was in the wedding. Luckily, Gigi and Showpa were driving up from the Austin area, so we got to spend some time with them as well. I think I envisioned the weekend going as worse as possible. When we got the wedding itinerary for the weekend, and I saw things like, "soup served at eight thirty" I began to panic. No one thinks about making a schedule that is good for small children unless you have one. And if you don't have a small child, why would you?? I just tried to picture myself and Blanche sitting down for soup at eight thirty. I saw her having a melt down because normally she is between bath and bed at this point most evenings. I wondered if I should go to the reception. Or if taking a one and half year old to any of the events would be wise.

But then again, Blanche always surprises me. Like how she surprised me on our trip down to Dallas, not sleeping one minute of the seven hour trip. Or how she surprised me that once we got to the hotel there was still no nap, no melt downs, and no tears when I left to go with Andrew for the rehearsal dinner. I was even leaning over to kiss her (and probably being more worried than I should) and she blew me a kiss real fast and said, "bye bye" and ran off pushing her stroller around the hotel lobby. This felt like a vision from the future. It was like she was telling me, "Mom, I do still need you a lot of the time, but sometimes, especially when I'm with Gigi in a cool new place… I got this."

So, I was off. As soon as Andrew and I arrived at the rehearsal, my heart was touched to see a little "Blanche Nycum" place card.  Autumn, the bride greeted me warmly and said she wasn't sure if Blanche would be there, but wanted her to have a place. I had never felt so welcomed somewhere just by a person accepting my child. I think sometimes as a stay at home mom, I can feel a little out of touch with society. There are just a lot of situations and places that its stressful to have a small child in. I guess I had thought coming to this wedding might be one of those situations. But it wasn't. Everything was beautiful and pretty much magical, and my little Blanche was welcomed. Even though I laughed at her place card and said, "how sweet…but Blanche would destroy this." It was nice to sit down to a beautiful meal with just Andrew while Gigi and Showpa watched Blanche.

The next day was filled with a busy schedule for Andrew, and an hour and half trip to whole foods. Andrew and I love good food. So we shopped and ate there. At one point I looked at Blanche and she seemed like she might just fall over. I took her to the van and she immediately fell asleep. And stayed that way on the way to the hotel, being carried up to the hotel and in the hotel bed for two hours. This was a pretty good sign that Blanche was exhausted. So I was able to relax too while Andrew did his wedding duties.

Overall, the evening went smoothly, with Showpa taking Blanche during the ceremony so I could sit and be a part. Then Blanche crashed again between the ceremony and reception… and lasted until about ten at the reception. She sat on Gigi's lap for awhile too while Andrew and I drank champagne and danced. Like I said, Blanche surprised me.

Even though it was a quick trip, it was great to see Austin and Autumn get married. To see a sweet and in love couple become one. It was also my first wedding to attend after being a mother, and I felt sentimental in new ways as I watched the mothers cry. It was crazy to think of Blanche leaving our family one day to start her own, but I was comforted by the fact of how much I call my own mother now that I too am a mom. Relationships are constantly changing, but they don't end with a wedding.

The trip to Texas and spending time with Andrew's mom and step-dad gave us a refreshed vision and hope for the future and what may one day lay ahead. And thats all I'm going to say. You know, to not count my chickens before they hatch.