Two Great Dates

Today I got to enjoy one-on-one dates with two of the people I love most of all. 

First, I attended Jillson's holiday party at her school. This was a highly anticipated event. She was up at 5:50am, asking if I could help her with the buttons on the back of her nightie so she could put on her party dress. When I said "hold on a second" as I fumbled for the clock, she replied something along the lines of: "oh sorry is it still the middle of the night well I'll just put it on anyway and try to sleep a bit more that way there is less for you to worry about in the morning mom if I put my party dress on right now okay?"

Jillson was a darling hostess when I met her in the lunch room. (It was my first time visiting her at school; I can't bring the younger kids into the school with me so I cannot volunteer or meet her there for lunch.) She introduced me first to Haley's mom, so that we could set up play dates. Then she stood up and walked around the table introducing me to all of her friends. She was so excited, so sparkly. I could tell how much she was enjoying showing me her world.

Together we made cute little reindeer candy canes.

Fast forward a few hours and the Gutsy Dad and I were hittin' the town for a date night. This time we tried out Tangerine, an Asian fusion place with some of the best pad thai I've had in years and a lovely house merlot.

The Gutsy Dad had the tangerini, and before you start making fun of him for ordering a chick drink, let me say these two things in his defense: 1) there were no manly cocktails on the menu and 2) it was a damn fine drink.

How lucky the GD and I are to be able to escape the craziness of our schedules and the mundanity of routine to be able to get away together once in a while. Luckier still to know that our children are in the hands of some very capable babysitters. And that the babysitters, in turn, are in the hands of these three, fine assistants.