Wow. This house is huge.

At least it feels huge, with everyone gone. My husband has had all three of our darling children in the mountains for two days. This is nice for a number of reasons. I love being alone in my house and I haven't been alone in this house in years, since before I got pregnant with Baby J, who is almost two. And I hate the mountains. My children love it, so I really, really want them to go, but I hate it. I'm not quite sure why. It might be that I get nervous when I'm more than a five minute drive away from a decent Brie. I'm also not an outdoorsy sort of person. I like having cocktails outside, on a patio. I like the beach, as long as there's an air-conditioned house nearby, with a bathroom (or four). I like eating on restaurant patios, as long as they're covered. In addition to enjoying the outdoors, albeit on a limited basis, I also like exercise. Indoors, of course. I like sweating, but only if I can control it. I don't like combining my love of the outdoors with exercise. I hate hiking and I think nature is boring. I'm an environmentalist. I think we should leave nature to thrive in peace.

Being an adult is the best, because you get to do whatever you want. My house, my rules and all that. But it isn't really my house*. I can't do whatever I want. These are some things I've been able to do with everyone gone:

• I walked to get a pedicure. No worries about wasting precious babysitter time. I meandered home.
• I ate an enormous bowl of popcorn. I never make popcorn, because the baby could choke on it and I don't like hiding in my closet to eat. I freaking love popcorn.
  
• I played music that I like, like show tunes, without anyone making fun of me. And sang along.
• I took care of my friend's toddler for four hours and it didn't put a kink in my plans, because other people's kids are always much better behaved.
• I made a really complicated thing. I forgot how much I enjoyed doing that. I also forgot that once you've made the complicated thing once, it's much easier the next time. And the thing was yummy. I had plenty of time for the optional leek lining. Just so you know, I used shrimp instead of salmon and I served it with a gribiche sauce. I didn't use this recipe, but I will next time, because it looks better and easier than my version.
  
  
  Fancy Seafood Terrine


• I had friends over to eat the really complicated thing and it only took me 15 minutes to shower, dress and clean up the house. Because no one was there to stop me or mess up behind me. And the house wasn't even messy to begin with. Guess why?
  
• The friends and I polished off more than one bottle of wine, because I knew I could sleep in the next morning. When you're a lightweight, you have to plan ahead by at least 24 hours if you plan on having more than two drinks.
• The friends and I were really loud and said cuss words**, because there were no children around to hear them. It was like being in a bar, without the smoke.
  
• I took care of some much-needed waxing, without the interruption of children or husband knocking on the bathroom door. Why is my bathroom the most popular room in the house? Especially when I'm in there with a pot of cooling wax and a spatula? Why? By the way, I did not wax my lady business while my friends were over. That would have been very weird, even for me.
  
• I'm now lying in bed, blogging and watching a show on Netflix that my husband would hate. I love it. And I can be as loud as I want and stay up as late as I want, because I get to sleep in tomorrow! Hooray!

I can't believe I forgot how much I loved cooking over-complicated stuff, staying up too late, drinking too much and being really loud. But I'm relieved my family saves me from doing those things too often. And I miss them, because the big kids are a riot and the baby is a snuggly-wuggly moo-moo bear. And the husband has really good jokes, even if he does snore. As much as I miss them, I fully intend to enjoy the hell out of tomorrow morning. Maybe a walk to the Gourmet Shop for breakfast?

Namasté, y'all!

* Actually, I think it is. The deed is in both of our names. The mortgage is entirely in my husband's name, because I make about twenty dollars a week teaching Pilates. Ergo, the equity must be mine. He's still paying for his part. Right?

** Okay, fine. I was really loud and said cuss words. My friends are nicer than that. Really.