I confess that I'm not very good at planning surprises. 

I don't plan them often enough. 

But for some reason, a few months ago, well before our anniversary, I got the idea to plan a surprise "get away" with Kyle.  I did some research and picked a local Bed and Breakfast, The Rosement, that sounded just right, and made a reservation. And then tried very very hard not to give away my surprise to Kyle!

I know people do this kind of thing all the time, but I do not like to leave my kids overnight. And neither does Kyle. It isn't that I don't think they can't function without me, I just miss them terribly when they're not with me. As does Kyle.  It may have something to do with attachment parenting, but in any case, our kids are with us constantly and we like it that way. We have the most fun when they're with us and never want them to be away.

BUT, I really wanted to surprise Kyle with something unexpected and romantic and I decided it would involve an overnight treat. And he had no clue. I only told him to take off work Friday, October 25 and to leave work a little early Thursday afternoon. He knew we were going to do something, obviously, but he had no clue what it would be.

I had arranged for my mom to keep the kids at our house (which made me more comfortable with the idea of leaving them for a night) and had already packed a bag for me and Kyle. When he showed up at the house, he was surprised to find my mom there and even more surprised when I had him get in the car without changing clothes or putting anything together. 

And boy, was he was stunned when we pulled in the driveway of the B&B. He never dreamed I'd plan something away from our kids!

I had everything planned out. We would change clothes and go play tennis for an hour on a court I had rented. Which was so much fun! We used to play tennis all the time before we had kids and we both miss it, so it was great to really play together. Then, after changing clothes at our B&B, we went out to dinner together at one of our favorite restaurants, Lilly's Dim Sum and Then Some, and then came back to our cozy room for a romantic evening. It was pure bliss.

I had picked a room that was actually a cottage and was separate from the main house. Which meant that we never had to see another single soul. It was divine! 

The other perfect thing about our room was that it felt like an English cottage.  Hardwood floors, a fireplace, a little kitchen, a huge jacuzzi tub...it was seriously the coziest place ever. Not to mention that it stormed during the night and we woke up to a 30 degree temperature drop outside! And the inn delivered breakfast to our room! 

For our Friday together, I had to include the kids because I had had a great idea! We borrowed a huge canoe from some friends of ours, picked up a picnic lunch from Boulevard Bread Company and then went canoeing on Two Rivers Park. It was beautiful with the changing colors of the trees, the stillness of the water and the brisk air. We had such a great time. 

And yes, I was so excited to see my kids when we picked them up that morning, but also, YES, I loved the mini-break with just me and my beloved. I'm not sure nights away are something I can handle with frequency, but it just may be something worth doing every now and then.