Free!

After 96 hours of being held prisoner cooped up in the house, I got to go out tonight. With a friend. To a restaurant. It was fantastic. And the cheesecake was the icing on the cake. Here's the difference between dining with kids, and without:

With kids: Fumble with highchair and booster seat while giving apologetic looks to everyone around us.
Without kids: Sit down at table and begin looking at menu.

With kids: Try to determine which ridiculously overpriced meal will be acceptable to fussy toddler.
Without kids: Choose food you can eat slowly, with both hands all to yourself.

With kids: Entertain children until food arrives.
Without kids: Actually finish a conversation and begin another one!

With kids: Cut food into tiny pieces, beg them to eat more, kick self for spending so much on mac & cheese they won't eat.
Without kids: Eat entire meal without having to share with anyone else.

With kids: Baby's cranky - time to go.
Without kids: I guess we should pay the bill now...but let's finish this conversation first.

With kids: Get everyone into carseats and head home.
Without kids: Talk for another hour about all the things not talked about over dinner.

With kids: Put kids to bed and fall onto couch, exhausted.
Without kids: Come home to kids already in bed and feel totally rejuvenated.

I should definitely do this more often!