Date Night

Years ago, I wouldn't normally get so excited about a movie (matinee, in fact) and dinner out; but, boy we sure do jump at the chance now!  Well, Richard jumps--I very cautiously hop. . .worried about Connor getting so upset when we leave.  I started testing the waters around 3pm:

Me:  Miss Sarah is going to come play tonight.
Connor:  We can play choo choo train!
Me:  Yeah, y'all can.  Daddy is taking Mommie to a movie while y'all play.
Connor:  No, Mommie--don't leave.
Me:  Well, darling, we'll be back in time for your bath and bedtime.
Connor:  (lips beginning to quiver)  No, Mommie, I want to come 'wiss' you. 

This went on for a while until he finally erupted into full fledge crying and collapsed onto my chest.  While I kept reassuring him that we'd be there before bedtime, he uped the anti by, very dramatically, wiping away a tear on his cheek and looking at me with such a pleading expression.  Ugh!

[Connor, how do I protect you AND help you grow at the same time?  I love you so much, and I breaks my heart for you to be sad.]

He's always a little timid going to PDO and church nursery, but getting braver every time.  However, the idea of a  babysitter-over-to-the-house business is just more than his little nerves can stand right now. 
Different story when we left for the movie--he was busy talking away to Sarah, not giving us another thought.  Really different story when we got home--like a monkey climbing in trees, he was up on the counters playing with his tooth brush while Sarah was bathing Aidan; and, then he kept singing at the top of his lungs, running from room to room like a whirlwind and then making circles around Sarah.

He is so much like me.  I dread things unjustly, and then end up having a good time.  I guess my expectations are low, maybe as a defense mechanism. . . or maybe (more likely), I'm just a closet pessimist with a "glass half-full" persona.  Mmmm!

Anyway, kids and no time to myself is helping me really enjoy those rare 'date nights'.  Ours was very low-key, but so fun:  movie (The Education) and dinner (Pei Wei).  Movie--very good, much better than I thought it would be---except, it seemed to offer no consequences for very stupid behavior except the lesson learned from the memory of really stupid behavior (but, really, does every movie have a moral obligation to teach us--I was very happy just being entertained).

All in all, good night.  Now a glass of wine and a cuddle on the couch with Richard.  Here's to the 'glass [being] half-full'.