I’ve abandoned my children

Or have they abandoned me?

I’m not quite sure.

They were so distraught about me leaving them for 10 days with their aunty and cousins that they couldn’t even bring themselves to come and wave goodbye.

Actually, they couldn’t be bothered.

I got a reluctant hug from each daughter, together with a “bye mum” and that was it, they went straight back to playing with their cousins like I was already gone.

It was down to Aunty Kate to stand on the front lawn and wave me off.

When I told Husband, he said I should have made them come and say goodbye, but I can’t really see how that would have made me feel any better about it, being farewelled under sufferance.

I’d been all moochy and sentimental on the trip up there … as Liam Gallagher nasally warbled Wonderwall on the car stereo, the tears welled up.

But they dried quickly enough when the bickering started. Geez sisters are champion bickerers.

But my fury was replaced by pumping adrenaline and a shower of Sprog 2’s Jatz biscuits when an idiot in a mini-bus pulled into my lane and within inches of my car. I slammed on my brakes, slammed on my horn and my heart started slamming in my chest.

And then he tried to do it again 30 seconds later.

Dickwad. Remind me never to drive on the F3 on the first day of school holidays again.

And then we were in Port Stephens and my kids disappeared. I had a cup of tea with my sister-in-law and then I hit the road for the 2 and a half hour return trip.

I slid a Disco Inferno CD – followed by Maynard’s Rewind – into the stereo and boogied my way back to Sydney. I had it up so loud I kept leaving the indicator flashing because I couldn’t hear it clicking over We Are Family.

Today I’m on a plane to New York (New York!).

Is it wrong to be so excited about going on a holiday without my children, or is it OK because they don’t seem to care that I’ve gone?