separation anxiety

I'm proud to report that since this post I have really improved my dancing.  I have been getting two to three lessons a week, versus my previous zero.  And to put even more of an urgency to my learning, it looks like I'm now going to be competing in my second competition.  My first was in Nashville about 5 years ago.  And I competed in pro-am bronze Latin, I think. Chris being the professional, me being the amateur.   This time will be silver smooth, also pro-am.   And the really exciting part...I get to learn Viennese waltz.  It is such a gorgeous dance and Chris has never taught me.  His response is always, "You're not ready."  So, I'm just doing a few rounds and it's really not a big deal.  The only thing that makes it a big deal is that it gives you a reason to practice and perfect things.  So the scary part is not any of that.  The scary part is leaving the kids!  We have never gone out of town and left the kids before.  I always thought, "Poor me, in the past __ years I've never gone out and done_____ the way that ____has."  Well.  I guess the real reason I haven't done this is that I really just didn't want to leave my kids and I've never had to.  So, when Chris first proposed the idea of me going to this comp with him and his other students it seemed fine.  We've gone before, but I usually just bring a babysitter.  Its worked out fine, but there really isn't much for kids to do.  This time however, Chris called my friend Heather and arranged the whole thing and then called me to tell me.  My first reaction; I felt like throwing up.  But it does seem exciting.  We would be able to go and enjoy just being with each other and watch a whole lot of dancing.  Plus it's at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC.  Which is very nice.  They have a spa, which would be fun.  I know my kids will have a blast with Heather and they are used to her.  I don't even worry about Chickie at this point, although, I'm sure she'd miss us.  But I do wonder about Bentley.  If it's too soon to leave him.  He will be almost 17 months by the time it comes along.  I just wonder if he will be able to understand that we are coming back.  It looks like we will be gone 3 nights, but only 2 days.  We just have to get there early in the morning to compete.

So what do you think?  Help me find some sanity regarding this issue.  Or just back out of it, well, it's too late for that but I could bring along a babysitter.

And don't my children look great in blue!!