We're Spending New Year's Eve Without Our Kids, and We're So Freakin' Excited

In the four-and-a-half years since we became parents, my husband and I have only spent a small handful of nights away from our children, and never at the same time. My oldest daughter occasionally spends the night at my parents' house, but she's only up the road and we're still at home with our twins.

This December, my husband and I are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary. As an anniversary gift, my parents will be taking our three girls for a couple of days so we can celebrate a decade of marital bliss while ringing in the New Year. And this will be the year of many firsts: the first time we've left all three kids, the first time we've ever gone out (or away for that matter) on New Year's Eve, and the first time we've been alone for more than just a few hours in a really long time. While some parents might shudder at the thought of leaving their kids on a special holiday, we couldn't be more excited.

I recently found a note in my phone from a few years ago. It's a list of destinations my husband and I thought we'd be able to pick from to visit when our 10th anniversary rolled around. Little did we know at the time that life had other plans. Last year, we purchased our forever home and welcomed our twins. Suffice it to say that things got a little crazy, so our dreams of an Alaskan cruise or a romantic getaway to Bora Bora had to be put on hold. We'll still be heading out of town, but the city in which we will be staying is considerably less exotic. I thought I'd be disappointed when we realized that our options were severely limited, but I quickly realized how long it's been since we've gone anywhere together sans kids. Now, I'm just happy to be getting away.

We didn't choose New Year's Eve for any reason other than that it's when my parents have a few consecutive days off from work. In fact, the thought of actually going anywhere on New Year's Eve kind of terrifies me. Large crowds make me squeamish, and I've just never been much of a party girl. For years, my husband and I have spent the night quietly at home with champagne, an array of snacks, and Syfy's annual Twilight Zone marathon. We're usually both asleep before the ball drops, and we're totally OK with that. We haven't yet decided what we'll do with our New Year's Eve date night this year, but if we spend it quietly in our hotel room catching up on some much needed and uninterrupted sleep, I won't be shocked or disappointed.

My husband and I love our kids more than anything, and I'm sure that we'll spend a considerable amount of time missing them while we're away. But we've also really missed each other, and surely a couple of days away together can give us a little opportunity to rejuvenate our relationship in a way that date nights just can't. That's why we had no second thoughts when the opportunity for a quick getaway presented itself, holiday or not. So, sorry, girls — we love you, but we'll see you next year!