And the Band Plays On

For the first time in months Chris is going out without me. As much as I love my husband and cherish the time we spend together, I was ecstatic about last night. I haven’t really had “alone” time with the kids since Chris and my separation ended about eight months ago. I kind of miss it (the alone time, that is, not the separation). I worked until six last night and then high-tailed it home to start my night with the kids. Chris met me at the door with a kiss and an exchange of car keys. Then he was off for a night with the boys. Waiting for me just inside the front door were three anxious kids, two dogs and my mother-in-law. Right now our family is functioning with one vehicle since my temper tantrum sent the Camry to her grave. Financially, it just hasn’t been feasible to invest in a new vehicle.

My original plan for the night was for Chris to drop us off at our favorite little Mexican restaurant. Since it is only a little over a mile from our house, the kids and I decided that we would walk home. You know, stuff our faces with the Mexican goodness then burn it all off on our way home. Sounded like a perfect plan. We were excited about the walk, oddly enough. However, Mother Nature decided that maybe that wasn’t such a great idea. The day started out in the mid-forties but quickly dropped to eighteen degrees. Now I’m a pretty tough cookie but there was now way in hellah that we were going to walk our happy, stuffed self’s home in those conditions. That’s when the mother-in-law came into the picture. She was tickled pink at the invite and was waiting in the kitchen with a half empty beer.

Within the hour we were in a cozy corner booth munching on the fried delights dunked in spicy goodness. The kids were gaga over the cheese dip and had a hard time using their inside voices. Although they were a little more active then I would have liked for my children to behave, it just didn’t matter. I love this place! It’s a place for families to come together over a meal and just be themselves. Nana and I shared a pitcher of margaritas along with our full meals. The mariachi band played some of the traditional kids’ songs and Alex was dancing like a fool. It was an incredible evening. I’m almost sad that Chris didn’t get to spend it with us, but it wouldn’t have been the same if he had.

Once we got home we all changed into comfy clothes (including Nana) and snuggled up on the couches. Earlier in the day, Chris had downloaded a movie for us to watch. (Have I ever mentioned how much I love TiVo?????). Snug in our blankets and surrounded by love, we started the movie. Within the first ten minutes, three children, two dogs and one Nana were sound asleep. Ehhh…. When you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Goodnight!