The Perfect Evening Out

It's nights like this that I want to wrap in a blanket and gently place in a time capsule. These times are so few and far between that I just want to capture the moment for an eternity.

Sunday evening we decided to take the family to a nice dinner (a.k.a. food not from a fast food container). Chris and I used to engage in evenings like this all the time prior to having children. It was the way we spent most of our weekends and often times our weeknight dinners as well. Even up until the time Alex was born, going out to a nice dinner was something we'd do with Grace in tow a few times a month. Since the births of our second and third children, nice dinners don't seem to come as often. Sure on the rare occasion we score a babysitter, Chris and I will get all fancied up and enjoy an evening out sans kids. It's just not something we do very often anymore and what is even more rare is taking the kids.

Don't ask me why we decided to take the entire family to dinner. I think we were all hungry and no one wanted to cook or to eat fast food.

Luckily, Chris used to work at this somewhat classy restaurant and knew that Sunday's were not particularly busy. We were seated in the back of the restaurant. Alex sat next to Chris. Grace sat next to me, and Eva was in between both me and Chris. I don't know what graces God blessed our children with this evening, but apparently ones of good behavior. I have never witnessed our children act so prim and proper. They used the correct silverware. They said please and thank you. They ate the appetizer and salad without complaining. They shared a cheese pizza and exhibited manners not only to the restaurant staff but to us and each other.

After the appetizer, the manager brought over a bottle of our favorite red wine ON THE HOUSE. We hadn't intended to drink, but with the exemplary behavior the kids were displaying and the fact that it was free, we decided to partake.

The kids were perfect little angels all the way through dessert. Two other patrons of the restaurant stopped by our table on their way out to tell us how beautiful our family is and how well behaved our children are. Nothing makes you feel like a better parent than that.

Except maybe that the kids thanked us on the car ride home for taking them to dinner. Without being prompted. We ROCK as parents!