Jen and Paul

Wow, this weekend was fantastic! Really busy, but fantastic! So Friday, I drove Nathan to his grandma and grandpa’s (Paul’s parents) so he could spend the night with them. It’s an hour-and-fifteen-minute drive, but I cranked up the radio and Nathan and I jammed the whole way down. Paul was working from home, so he couldn’t partake in the joys of off-tune harmonizing. But it was a nice drive and oh! I stopped on my way home and got myself a new outfit. (I normally don’t like completely and utterly loathe shopping for clothes since I gained weight, but I’ve gone down a whole size so I was much more optimistic about the whole experience.) I managed to snag a cute pair of pants and a shirt to go with them and let me tell you, there is something about buying yourself a new outfit that you look good in. Suddenly, you feel like you’re not longer all dumpy and unattractive and… mommy-ish. YOU KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. Because walking around all day with dried toddler boogers on your left sleeve spilled milk starting to sour on your right sleeve isn’t exactly sexy. But when you’re with your child all day, it cannot be avoided, so you go through your day wearing clothes that have their own gravitational force, sucking your toddler’s messes on to you. Even if he’s in the other room. Sometimes I’ll hear him sneeze while he’s playing in his room, and I’ll look down and lo-and-behold! THERE BE FRESH SNOT on my shirt. Hmmmm.

Hide yo kids and hide yo wife cuz my toddler’s getting all crazy up in here.

Ok, so back to my story. Since Paul’s parents kept Nathan for the night, Paul and I were able to have a DATE NIGHT! We met some friends at our favorite sushi place and totally indulged ourselves in a mixture of absolutely delightful sushi, tons of laughter, and later some pool and karaoke. And get this. We stayed out until 2:00 am. AND WE DIDN’T TURN INTO PUMPKINS. We went to bed shortly after we got home around 3:00 am JUST BECAUSE WE COULD. And in the morning? We slept in until almost noon.

Did you read me? NOON, you guys. You know how long it’s been since I got to sleep til noon? Well, let’s just say I have a bigger chance of crawling into the dumpster behind Red Lobster and taking a big ole shit than I do of sleeping til noon. (And, um, just to clarify, I would never actually shit in a dumpster. I don’t poop in public y’all.)

So it was a great weekend and much needed. Paul and I are seriously going to have to make a habit of getting out more often. Being a parent is the best job in the world, but in order to be at your best, you have to take care of yourself first. So that means every once in a while, letting myself take a day off from being Mommy and so I can just be Jen.