Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for March 25, 2013

I predict lots of long-distance calls at 8am Paris time to “doyouknowwhattimeitishere?!?!” calls on this side of the puddle time. Tack on the 50% hotel charges and BAM! there goes the shopping budget.

ALRIGHT, ENOUGH, JOAN! YOU’RE EDGING MARTYRDOM, AND NO ONE REALLY LIKES THOSE. If you don’t take that vacation, you WILL regret if for the rest of your life…and you don’t even know how long that is.

Wally, grab her bag and start walking. She’ll follow- after all that trouble packing her bag, she’s not going to let it out of her sight!

I know of no mom who feels “guilty” about leaving the kids for a vacation. Any sane person knows that personal time for you & your spouse is a must. Don’t let your kids smother your own individuality & self.

Jan Eliot isn’t making fun of anyone; she’s drawing on sterotypes to draw a cartoon. Everyone is free to draw their own conclusions.

Listen to Wally, and go!! Sure, you may feel bad, but as soon as you get your first meal without kids climbing all over you and whining, you’ll enjoy it!

Woman- you are out of your mind.

This story arc is getting very annoying. Get them to Paris and let’s get on with it!

Ronc: I agree. It took less time to build the airplane then to get them on this vacation.

Evie has had her own kind of nuttiness. Painting a nude male for the art class at the senior center, taking up artistic dance and of course we all know when the ladies (Evie’s poker buddies) went to Reno, what went on in Reno, stayed in Reno! Plus, I agree with @Saskfan, she’s just poking fun at stereo-types! It wouldn’t be funny otherwise!

I predict that Joan’s guilt will subside, right towards the end of the vacation. Just in time to come back and wonder why she didn’t stop feeling guilty sooner.

What’s scary is that in “Joan World,” she could very well decide not to go and then wonder why everyone is so mad at her.

I never left my kids for vacation when they were babies and now that they’re older I’ve only left them for a few days at a time, but I think maybe if my sister n mom lived nextdoor and offered to help I would love to go. The kids are used to being around them regularly. Although I would ask Grandma to sleep at my house so they could sleep in their own beds.

Joan is not being stupid, just a case of separation anxiety and is very normal and common. I’d be worried if she didn’t have some doubts and worries.

I predict that when Joan gets back she will feel worse because Luci and Max behaved so well while she was gone. Little sugar induced rug rats just need a lifestyle change.

Do you mean Joan?

You never get over guilt, whether pre-trip, during-trip, or post-trip. It’s a parent thing. We have no kids, but the wife worried about the dogs our entire time in Italy!