Sunday, November 1, 2009

Hangovers and Parenting Don't Mix

Being hungover is bad.

Being hungover while tending to two small children is really, really bad. But as my friend (who is a bit of a smart-ass) likes to say: "You play, you pay."

And oh, did we play...


We played so much, in fact, that this morning while everyone was enjoying a greasy diner breakfast on South Beach, I was lying down in the booth, asleep.
.
Classy.

Now, I know it sounds like I overdid it last night. But I didn't. Really. It's true. Ask around. Even my friends and husband (who are always brutally honest) said they were surprised by how bad I felt today. In fact, my drink of choice (white wine as opposed to the oh-so-much-more-appropriate-at-a-club Grey Goose) was selected simply based on its non-hangover effects.

But after I had to run to the bathroom to puke my life away the moment I got home today instead of greeting my children (who, by the way, did not seem in the least bit slighted as they continued to run around with their visiting cousins), I had to admit I was hungover...bad.

After much pondering, I came to the realization: it is not just hangovers and parenting that don't mix. It's partying and parenting.

You go into the party situation with a low immune system. You're tired. You're sleep-deprived. You're chronically stressed. The sad, sad truth is I just can't hang like I used to.

It is rare that I am able to stay up past 9:30 most nights. Last night? We left the house at 9:30, and then we still had to check into a hotel, get dressed up, and go to the club. (I admit, when we walked into the hotel room, a part of me wished we were just sleeping all night.) This was all after a day of activities: soccer game at 8:30 sharp, breakfast out with the whole family, jack-o-lantern carving, and a round of trick-or-treating...


Not to mention that this was also after a week of 2 more pediatrician visits and 2 sleepless nights filled with fever checks, coughing fits, and nebulizer treatments. (Yes people, my recent laundry list of household ailments has grown longer.) Add to this one nearly empty stomach, and it explains how a few glasses of wine and a few hours of dancing did me in.

So you see, it wasn't the alcohol that gave me the hangover.
It was the parenting.

13 comments:

  1. I'm sorry to be giggling a bit. It's not at YOU. It's the truth in your last two sentences. And I have to giggle, because if I don't, I'll just get mad or frustrated or feel left out or something.
    I'm glad you had fun. Those SHOES! It IS parenting that gives us all hangovers. But I think you found the cure. Partying. If you're gonna be hungover anyway, you may as well enjoy Halloween more than the little cuties.

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  2. Oh Liz! I SO understand...Hope the hangover was worth it!

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  3. Ah, you reminded me of the last time I partied and parented. Ugh, and at a campsite no less. :)
    Good lookin' family there :)

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  4. You WILL find your groove again! Trust me! Parenting and partying is about finding the right balance, and you will find it soon. Besides it gives you great things to blog about along the way!

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  5. Found you at SITS. Hope your Monday goes better for you!

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  6. Ha, that's a tough one to swallow I know. It still looks like you had an amazing day though. I love your writing stye.

    I found you through SITS, you commented before me. I wish I could stay longer but I'll have to come back when I have more time.

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  7. see the parenting...exactly. And you werent drunk, you were OVERSERVED.

    And you all look fantastic.

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  8. Oh, that's tough. I have a very low tolerance since hatching the boys. I had the nastiest red wine hangover a couple of years ago- so bad that my husband took my son to grandma's house. I cried because I felt so miserable AND because I felt like a deadbeat mom.

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  9. Stopping by from SITS...

    I only have nights out like these once or twice a year. If I drink, I end up in the same predicament. I can't handle my liquor like I did when I was 18. Wait, I mean 21! :)

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  10. I've never thought about what it's like to be hung over and then have to wake up and take care of kids. I give you props whether it's from alcohol or from parenting.

    yours truly,
    Lady Lex

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  11. Oh I have been here and it is not fun. Although it wasn't for Halloween, I have been out on several occasions only to completely wonder WHY I would do that to myself in the morning when my son needs my attention so early.

    I don't know if it works but a trick I learned is to drink a bottle of water and eat a banana. Helps quickly!

    Visiting from SITS, Happy Tuesday!

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  12. I'm exhausted just reading the post!

    Stopping by from the SITS Halloween Parade :o)

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  13. Ha. Love this post. Love it. And how true. It's not the partying, but the parenting. This is genius. Those precious little tykes? They are higher proof than the Goose and make us loopier too.

    (Is it cool that I adore your blog?)

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