Can you believe what you are reading?
Vassil and I went on a.... DATE!
An *actual* date!
We got all dressed up... and enjoyed fancy grown up food... four courses no less...in a nice restaurant... we dined by candlelight... and we did all this WITHOUT the kids!
Oh, it was marvelous!
Since we've had the hardest time finding (and trusting) a babysitter, I decided we would try one of these drop off daycare places. There happens to be a very nice one near lots of shopping and nice restaurants, and I had heard good things. I figured the kids were to the age where they would be okay being dropped off. And actually for 2.5 hours it was only $35 which isn't nearly as expensive as I thought it would be. And we figured for a special night (Valentine's Day AND Vassil's birthday) that it would be worth the extra splurge.
Best of all, the kids had a BLAST! I was worried Liam would cry when he saw us leaving, but that was SO not the case... he was literally climbing over the gate trying to get in before we'd even checked him in. He was EXCITED! On the car ride there, I was explaining to the kids that Mommy and Daddy were going to go on a special date... that we would drop them off at a fun place, kind of like Kidzu but it was called Green Kids (Liam now calls it GreenZu), but there were teachers there to watch them, and that they needed to help each other and watch out for each other and be on their best manners. Anyway, they were excited!
Before I walked the kids in, I reminded them one more time that Mommy and Daddy were going on a date, that we would go have dinner, and then we'd come back to pick them up. Elizabeth replied, "No mommy, I think after dinner there will be dancing." Lol! I had to smile. I love that she already has notions of what dates are supposed to be like... "dinner AND dancing," of course! lol!
Anyway, the restaurant where we decided to eat was P.F. Changs--not necessarily super fancy, but I love their food and I never feel like its a place I can bring my kids to, so we haven't eaten there in YEARS! A travesty really!
When we sat down, I don't think we really knew what to do with ourselves. We were both so happy and it was SO relaxing to be able to sit and enjoy the atmosphere, and the food, without having to deal with kids needing to get up to go potty, or spilling their drinks, or making a mess, or the getting up and down from their chairs a hundred times.
It was heavenly!
Of course, 2 minutes after our soup and appetizer arrived, we got a call from the daycare place. Liam had had an accident. I couldn't believe it! He hasn't had an accident since learning how to potty train. I didn't leave them with a change of clothes... so I had to rush over there with a change of clothes that I (praise Jesus) had packed in the car months ago. Typical, right? Here we had just sat down and were about to enjoy our meal... and wouldn't you know it! I guess he was just SO excited by the new, fun place he just wasn't thinking.
Anyway, after dropping off his clothes, I raced back over to dinner and enjoyed a wonderful meal... and because it was Vassil's birthday we got an extra dessert (our meal came with two... so we ended up sharing THREE, yes count them THREE desserts) It was sinful I tell ya!
When we came to pick up the kids, the ladies in charge said they did great... but they were laughing and saying something about how "that was a first." Oh no... "a first?" What does that mean? Then they proceeded to tell us the story of how after Liam had his accident (number 1), that he stripped off his pants and was running around half naked. They didn't notice it right away, but suddenly they saw him run by, bare bottomed. Someone shouted, "Who's the naked kid?"
Yep, that's my naked kid. Oh me oh my. Too funny.
The next night we celebrated daddy's birthday at home with cake. For fun, I wanted to put 36 candles on the cake... it didn't work so well. Before I could get them all lit, they started melting all over the place. The kids thought it was hilarious though. They couldn't believe daddy was that old!
We also let daddy open his present. He kinda already knew what it was. After purchasing it a while back, my little shopping buddy told her daddy, "Daddy we bought you a watch!" I knew it was an accidental, excited "slip" because then she followed it up with, "No, it's not a watch... it's a pillow. You're not getting a watch, silly!"
Daddy really wanted a watch with an alarm on it (his hotel room in Ireland didn't have an alarm clock, and he was worried the call service might mess up and he'd be late for work). BUT, the only catch was he wanted a leather band. I search high and low for a watch with an alarm with a leather band. I finally found one... and I EVEN loved the style... very hip and trendy.
Alas, Vassil hasn't been able to figure out how to get it to work, and the instructions are awful. So I think he's returning it for one he likes better. Oh well. It's the thought, right?
Anyway, that was our Valentine/birthday date-night!
Seeing how successful it was (naked boy and all), I think it's safe to say we will be doing this more often!
To date nights!
