Unprecedented. Unparalleled. Unwanted. 2020. The pandemic. This version of Thanksgiving.
If this Thanksgiving was an episode of Friends, it would be: The One Where We All Quarantined.
Or...The OneWith the Masks
Or...The One With All the Zoom Calls
Thanksgiving is pretty much my favorite holiday (yes, I say that about all the holidays, but it's MY truth, so just accept it) so I refuse to have a little thing like a global pandemic (and non-mandatory but still very much recommended "Turkey in Place" order) dampen my seasonal spirit.
Thanksgiving isn't cancelled! Fun isn't over! It's just...umm...reformatted.
At our house, Thanksgiving 2020 is going to be a combo of distanced celebration and virtual gathering. My parents, siblings and I are all going to make a few dishes, and then swap so we all end up with a full feast. (I'm in charge of my usual: brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes, plus two kinds of pie because I'm nothing if not ambitious!) After the Tupperware handoff, we'll all go back to our separate houses and toast and eat together via Zoom. Not ideal...but sort of a lemonade out of lemons kind of deal. (And bonus: Thanks to my mom, I still don't have to learn how to make a turkey!)
After dinner, it's usually time for a nap...but also- GAMES! If I was making a list of the things I love about Thanksgiving, it's pretty much EVERYTHING- but playing group games is near the top of that list (in an 87 way tie with eating too much, watching the parade, that indescribable warm feeling that just magically comes with the holiday...etc. etc. etc.) There are a few things I can't recreate virtually (mostly hugs...don't you miss hugs?!) but games? Surely there is a way to make games still happen!
Awwwww yeah there is. You know what they say, where there's a will, there's a powerpoint. Or something like that. So I got real dorky on Saturday night, hunkered down with a Hoegaarden and a Hallmark movie, and made our fam a little deck of games to play virtually. I won't lie to you and claim there are any original thoughts in here (even the deck format is a default PPT template, so don't judge the design...or do, but know that I take no ownership)- it's all compiled from the wonderful world of Pinterest. It's not fancy, and it's certainly no substitute for the magic of actually being together. But it falls in that very important bucket of "Things We CAN Do Right Now" (also satisfies the: "Things Courtney Can Pour Energy Into Instead of Just Crying and Eating More Bread" need, and checks the "Things to Focus on as Point of Distraction From Other Crappier Stuff" box).
And because it's thanksGIVING, after all, I figured why not share with all you other good-time guys and gals looking to get your socially-distanced game on.
Despite all the changes and moments of "it's ruined. everything is RUINED" I'm still excited to celebrate. This Thanksgiving will definitely be memorable...but I'm hopeful we can all find ways to make it the good kind of special.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Date night. Every married couple knows that should be a priority...but it's hard to make happen. (Work schedules, packed calendars, babysitter conflicts, etc. etc. etc.) And then even if you can get out for a bit, it's usually an hour or two in the evening, which may or may not be your best time to connect (soooooo tired). I'm always thankful for time alone with Dustin, but I don't necessarily love the options date night affords us. It feels like it always has to be squeezed into the two hours after the kids' bedtime (and before it gets crazy late for a sitter), or we go out earlier and I feel like we're over-burdening someone with the task of watching all three gila monsters during the witching hours. And never mind that the expense of a babysitter pretty much doubles the cost of whatever date activity we choose (which- tragically unoriginal alert- is usually just dinner). (OR we feel bad about taking advantage of free babysitting again from my family, even though they swear they don't mind). Plus there's the guilt of missing time with the kiddos, when we're already away from them the bulk of most days. So yeah. Love a date night. Don't always manage to make it happen.
But we do try to squeeze in time here and there and take advantage of what we have, so during a (rare) impromptu lunch together the other day, we decided we should take a day off, randomly, just the two of us. We've got the time to spare at work, and with Piper back at daycare with the other kids for the Summer, we've got all-day care already lined up (and paid for!) So last Friday, we took advantage of the most expensive "free" babysitting we'll ever have, and had a Date Day. Just one day; just the two of us. No plans; no kids. (And no burden, no guilt.)
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While a big-time date is pretty rare around here...documenting it is even more rare. I don't suspect many will care about the ins and outs of our simple day together...but I know I'll cherish being able to look back at the ordinary magic of our life in this season. So I'm making the time to date that man I love, and taking the time to record a little bit of why it's so special to me.
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We wanted to make the most of our day together, so we got the kids up, fed, and off to daycare around our regular time in the morning. 8:30AM still seemed a little early to start a date, so I took advantage of some solo time while Dustin did drop off, and took a shower without anyone watching/tattletaling on someone/opening the shower door to have me "fix" Barbie's shoe. Similarly, Dustin enjoyed a quick trip to Home Depot, that was both actually quick and sans any sort of shrieking or injury. Date Day hadn't officially started, and it was already my favorite day.
Now on to the heart of the matter...
First up: Bikes! Kidding. Never.
But a certain 3.95 year old I know is looking a little bit like a circus bear on her tricycle, so a new birthday bicycle gift was in order for Fin. We hit up Once Upon A Child (aka: my happy place) for a new-to-her gem. It has streamers, a carrier for a baby, and a bell. $25 well spent.
(and yes, I realize it's a little lame to spend date-day shopping for our kids, but we kept the trip short, and it was such a specialize mission it didn't feel like we were wasting our time together running routine errands).
So, the day was already a wild success, and it was only 10am. Yes!
The night before, I had done a last minute search for local Groupons, and found that the mini-golf place we planned to go to (because you know we were going to play some mini-golf) had a deal for buy-one-get-one free golf plus 10 rounds batting cage tokens. So though I haven't swung a bat in 10+ years (maybe 20+?) we gave it a shot. I stuck to softball and "slow baseball" (dang elementary school kids, hogging the "very slow" option), while Dustin handled "medium". We were in no danger of anyone scouting us, but it was fun change of pace to try something different together.
Next it was on to the main event...Mini-golf is hands down my favorite date activity, day or night. It's silly, competitive, and just super fun. The course was actually a little crowded (first day of Summer vacay for local kids) which worked out great...we got to enjoy some extra sunshine, and had time to talk (in between golf related trash-talk, of course). We chatted about all kinds of things, but ended up talking a lot about plans (and wild visions) we have for our family in the future. So thankful for a man I can play with a dream with, simultaneously.
Photographic evidence we were tied at the turn...I'm not sure who ended up winning. (except I'm totally sure, and I don't want to talk about it).
It was barely lunch time (thanks for the early wakeup, kids!) but who's stopping us from finding a nearby spot for some pre-noon beers (and burgers)? No one, that's who. We hit up the new Northstar, and ate super slow, and didn't have to cut up, wipe up, or blow on anything. Glorious.
I'd be lying if I said we didn't talk about work...because actually I think we spent nearly the entire meal discussing that. But what a gift to have someone who understands the 9-5...This is the second time we've worked together, and I honestly cherish the shared perspective it gives us. (Plus there is no way he'd endure nearly as much of my complaining if he wasn't in similar trenches).
We headed home after that (mostly to change into looser pants...still not sorry about all the guac.) But on our way, I of course spotted a little curb-side gem we had to snag. Ain't no shame in my trash picking game (seriously...Dustin wishes there was any shame in it. But alas. There is none). Only issue? The shelf I spotted was far too big for our car (even if we didn't have a bike with us already...) So with no words, and a mercifully subtle eye-roll, Dustin hopped out, picked it up, and walked the two blocks home.
This guy is the muscle to my hustle all day every day. This is him requesting that I not document this shenanigans. But the world needs to know how much he loves me (and how much I love him for it).
And with our second second-hand score of the day in the bag, it was time for more golf...this time of the disc variety.
We made a quick stop at Play-It-Again Sports (it turns out the unofficial theme of the day is bargain fun!) for some cheap drivers and putters (chosen solely based on their ridiculous graphics), and then headed out for the course.
I pretty much haven't played since high school (I actually used to play pretty frequently back then...not because I was great at it, or tremendously passionate about the sport. But my friends were super into it, so I was happy enough to go along for the ride) and I think Dustin and I have only played once or twice together, if that.
We went to a course I've never tried before, and it was seriously magical. And not just in a sappy "I love my date" way...I mean the forest actually looked enchanted.
It was the most perfect weather ever, and we had a blast hiking around for an hour or so, trying our best to keep our new discs out of the water (and taking awkwardly balanced self-timer shots). At this point we honestly didn't really talk much...which is probably (ok, definitely) rare for me. But it's a special kind of comfortable to just enjoy each other...just being.
(side note: I feel a little hind-sight dorkiness about our semi-matching/semi-competing Ohio State and Eagles gear.)
He didn't let me win, but gave me credit where it was due, and I only ended up owing him two wager related backrubs for the day. Sooooo, could have been worse.
And since we were just a few minutes from my fave ice cream place, we had to make a stop at Sticky Fingers. (I didn't even have to ask for eyes. Love that).
By now it was late afternoon and we had our fill of sun and games. Typically I'd try to carve out time for a nap...either out of necessity, or just on principle, but maybe keeping up with three kids has upped my endurance, because at this point I still felt...pretty rested. (We did lounge for a few minutes and have the obligatory "what in the world did we do before we had kids?...But like, really?...Whatever we wanted?....Like, all day?..." conversation. It's only been a few years, but still, I can barely remember the rhythm of full days without children.) We had a little time before we needed to fetch the whippersnappers, so I set out to tackle an art project that had been looming/lagging in our garage for a few days (or weeks? hard to say...) Having some uninterrupted work time? Priceless.
And just like that...our Date Day drew to a close (and the typical manic merry-go-round of dinnertime/playtime/bathtime/bedtime resumed). One day wasn't enough (could never be enough) but it was still so much. It may need to become a regular occurrence. We may not be able to get a full day away very often, but early-out "Summer Fridays" could afford us a couple of hours alone each week...Don't mind if we do.
Happy last day of November! Otherwise known as...the last chance to get your advent act together! Eeek!
Ok. Don't freak out, because that's the exact opposite of the point of advent- a season when we're supposed to be looking with hope, joy, and gratefulness for our coming Savior. But as a mom of toddlers, with a goal of celebrating the season, it can get a little stressful to feel like I have twenty five days to fill- and I better have some sort of special memory making plan.
But great news...I do have a plan! And it's called: repeat last year's plan!
When I shared our Christmas tour last year, I showed our advent calendar which I just loved. It was super cute (thanks, Starbucks!) and filled with simple notes for daily activities. It was all pretty small stuff, just enough to be festive, but not so much that it stops being fun.
My philosophy on advent with toddlers...or...anything with toddlers, is set your expectations low, and cut yourself some slack. (I went into this theory a bit more in depth in a Thrive Moms blog post: "How to do advent without losing your mind"), It can be a super fun time, but it can also be overly busy, and exhausting. But there's so much beauty in this season, and the best part about little kids is that they pretty much think anything is special...especially if you hype it up to them. So we had a blast last year, mostly doing regular stuff- but doing it with gusto!
So as December 1st approached (quickly!) this year, I wasn't worried! I figured I'd set the whole thing on repeat...we're already ready to roll! Buuuuuuut....then I realized that I never actually recorded all of the activities we did last time. I still had most of the scraps of paper in my tins (a small miracle in itself), but most is by definition not all, so I had a little bit of work to do. Plus, I wanted to tweak things a little bit this time around to match up with our schedule and events we already had planned. So I took a look at our calendar, and typed out a list to use as a cheat sheet for this year's line up of activities.
None of my ideas are particularity unique (a quick google search will lead you to a ton of useful lists, most with very similar activities...This list has a ton of great ones!) but in case you find yourself wanting to make some Christmas-y fun, with minimal planning effort, feel free to copy our list!
Here's what's on the docket this year:
Eat a special snack
Set up your very own tree
Read a book together
Write a letter to Santa
Go get a Christmas tree
Visit Santa
Family game night
Draw a picture for a friend
Have a PJ dance party
Sing Christmas carols
Look at Christmas lights
Buy gifts for kids in need
Perform in a Christmas program
Make a Christmas card for your teacher
Color in a coloring book
Santa bath (Psst...this is just bubbles and a little red & green food coloring!)
Facetime with Grandma and Grandpa
Movie night
Pancake breakfast
Make a craft
Bake something yummy
Recite our bible memory verses
Wrap a present
Go to church
Wish everyone you see a very Merry Christmas!
Fun, right? I know it's not rocket science (flying sleigh science?) but for a type-A planner like myself, making a list is a way to be a little bit more intentional about spending time together. I could probably fill a full year with fun things if I tried, and I certainly could do a better job of making our list more Christ-focused, and filled with opportunities to serve others. But there are still a ton of things we'll do over the next month that didn't make the "official" list, so this isn't meant to be an all encompassing view of our approach to the season. Likewise, there are probably a few entries on the list that just won't happen, but if it all doesn't work out as planned (if...ha!), I figure I'll just put "special snack" on repeat and call it a win. I can guarantee my kids won't mind!
P.s. In other "ghost of Christmas past" news, while I was doing some archive searching (hoping to find last year's list), I was reminded of an online advent calendar I made a few years ago (ok...SIX years ago. crazy talk!) with little activities for each day. So just for fun, I compiled it all into one post- which you can check out and click through for some fun this year (or the next, or the next...)
Soooooo....What are you all up to for the month? Anything we should make sure to squeeze into our plans?
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I didn't mean to torture you by keeping the gender a secret. I try not to flatter myself into thinking anyone cares about our little goings-on that much...but it turns out you are all pretty excited about the next baby B...which makes me even more excited! So thanks for letting me extend the mystery an extra couple of days while we let the news soak in. And now it's time for....
Get your guess ready...The big news after the jump!
People say that finding out the gender of your baby is one the last great surprise left in life. Now, usually the people saying this are using it as an argument that you should skip the gender reveal at the ultrasound, and wait until the baby is born to find out if it’s a boy or a girl. But I firmly disagree. If you're pregnant, I don’t mind if you want to wait to find out (ok...I actually do kind of mind....I’m nosey, and impatient....But I at least understand if you want to wait) but I’m not doing it. Science has made it possible for me to get an extra 20 weeks of planning in...and I’m taking it. Plus, I think the whole surprise argument is a little weak. I mean...I’m going to be the same amount of surprised at 20 weeks that I would be at 40, just less distracted. And as for the idea that waiting to find out makes the birth experience that much more magical? Not buying it. I was overjoyed to meet Piper, even though we had known she was a she for months already. And I don’t think any parent responds to the delivery announcement of “It’s a.....!!!!” with a “Big deal...We already knew that." Finding out the gender of the baby is magical- no matter when, and no matter how. So, while I totally respect the old-fashioned way, I also totally admit that patience just isn't my scene. And I doubt I'm the only one, right?
So let's make the most of our little mystery...and play a Baby Bowden #2 guessing game:
Sure, there's only two options so we could just flip a coin, but isn't it more fun to put stock in random suspicions of folklore wisdom? Here's where baby B 2.0 lines up on most popular wives' tales:
craving salty-see: grilled cheese, salad, mac and cheese. (but don’t kid yourselves, if pressed, I can eat an entire pan of brownies. And by “pressed” I mean, “If I’m in the presence of brownies”.)
morning sickness: rough- nuff said.
feeling clumsy-ok, not particularly. But you can’t really describe yourself as graceful. I’m a bit more scatterbrained and forgetful, so I factored that in here. Clumsy of the mind, I guess.
skin is oily-Gross. Let’s not discuss.
prefer sleeping on my right- but that’s mostly because I’m usually trying to hide my phone or book light from Dustin so he can actually sleep.
headaches are rare-so thankful that I haven’t had one since I’ve been pregnant. This might be the only clear (non) symptom I have (that still doesn’t mean anything!)
hands are dry-It must be a boy, right?! It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact it’s the dead of winter?
hair is thin- This might be the only other actual useful clue. With Piper, my hair didn’t fall out at all the entire time I was pregnant. Not a strand. This time? I shed like normal. Which is to say- a lot. You’d think that would mean the baby’s gender is different this time, but apparently thin hair points to a girl...So who knows. I think the most likely cause is me forgetting to take my vitamins too often.
Chinese chart says girl- Some people swear by this. (even some non Chinese people!) But I’m not convinced. If you google it, you can find about a hundred different versions of the chart, and most conflict a little. I’m going with this one, because it’s on a website called “moms who think”. Can’t be wrong, right?! (For those of you who want to know the nitty gritty- I was 28 and it was October. With Piper I was 27 in February, so this chart guess her correctly.)
So that settles right? Clear as mud. I honestly don't have a gut feeling one way or another, but even if I did, my track record is pretty much 0%. (I was sure....sure...Piper was a boy. So sure. And so wrong.)
And for those of you who need to "see the baby" to make your guess...here is my 19 week belly pic from this past weekend:
So what do you think? Should we dig out all our little pink onesies? Or start stocking up on the blue?
Leave your guess in the comments!!!
...and to satisfy you "it's so much better to wait!!" people out there? We've got the perfect compromise- we'll leave you in suspense until next week!
(For the record, Dustin and I didn't find out the gender right way this time. Something about an ultrasound exam room at 7:30AM wasn't feeling super magical and romantic, so we chose to have the technician write it down for us so we could open it later as a couple. So if you're hating the suspense....I feel your pain. It's like waiting Christmas morning- hard, but worth it!!)
Saturday was one of those days that was so beautiful, that no matter how tired you are, how many chores you have to do, or what errands you want to run, there seems to be an audible voice ordering you to go outside. We had a to-do list in mind, but when your given a day as perfect as this, there's no arguing- you simply must drop everything and take the baby to the park. Not negotiable. So we scarfed down some lunch, I pushed off my desperately needed nap, and the three of us headed out to enjoy an afternoon stroll.
Miss Pip was excited for her first spin in the new stroller. (we received it before she was even born, but until now we've been using her carseat stroller, or a hand-me-down jogger) I was a little worried about committing to the new ride- but she settled in quickly, and we bumped happily along the park path without an issue.
But as much as she liked her stoller- she was slightly less enthused about the slide:
(P.s. Either she's a monster, or that is the shortest slide in public park history...)
She warmed up once we got to the tic tac toe board though. She's pretty much obsessed with standing, so anything that assists her with that goal is fine in her book.
But soon standing wasn't enough...she wanted to be on the move. And Dustin was all too happy to help her climb like the big kids.
I distracted myself from the imminent danger and certain death by taking pictures.
Lots of pictures.
Eventually though, the daredevils tired of defying death, and moved on to more manageable pursuits, crawling around in the plastic tunnels on the lower level.
And of course it wouldn't be a trip to the park without some swinging, and some snuggling.
I've got my fingers crossed that Summer has a few more afternoons like this up her sleeve.
Sometimes I keep things from you, dear internet friends, and it makes me feel guilty.
Sure-you know all about our precious baby, you've gone on virtual tours of our house (even the messy parts) and we've shown you more photos of our food than you probably ever want to see….But I’ve been holding out on you, and it’s time to come clean.
Internet- meet Fris-cup. Fris-cup, internet.
Friscup is a game that was introduced to us by a former
Young Life kid (thanks Seth!) a few years ago, and we’ve been playing
ever since (not literally…I mean, we do have to work sometimes.) We’ve
shared it with our families at various bar-b-que parties, and I’ve taken
a hundred pictures of the action, but somehow I’ve never bothered to
share it here. But with 4th of July shin-digs coming up, I figure it's the perfect time to get your outdoor game on. So on the off-chance you’re not familiar with the
awesomeness that is Fris-cup, allow me to fix that.
It’s
a (really) simple game- akin to the summertime classics Ladderball and Cornhole-
boasting easy to learn rules, appropriateness for all ages and incredibly cheap materials
(a Frisbee, Solo-cups, and reflective parking sticks from Home Depot.)
It requires only 2 minutes to set up, and takes next to no space for
storing/transporting. (no, the Fris-cup association isn’t paying me for
this endorsement…but I’m open to it!)
Here's the "official" rules:
Plant 2 sticks in the ground about a Frisbee
width apart and place an upside down cup on each. Duplicate the set up
about 20ft away. Two teams take turns trying to knock the cups off of
the opponents’ sticks by throwing a Frisbee. If a team knocks a cup off-
they get one point. If the opposing team catches the cup- they
get the point. (No points for hitting the sticks, or for catching the
Frisbee.) If a team gets the Frisbee through the sticks field-goal
style, without knocking over the sticks or cups- they get 3 points. Take
turns throwing until one team reaches 11 points.
So easy, and so fun! I love to play, but I also get a kick out of watching
others….the expressions that are made when straining for a catch are
priceless.
It's still kind of a little known game (though it does have a few names: Fricket anyone?), but I think it's only a matter of time before it hits the big time, and people are playing in every in backyards, on beaches, and at bbq's across the country. Fris on!
P.s. This post reminded me of our backyard cornhole tournaments, and led me to this little gem in the archives. If you haven't seen this video, it's worth 14 seconds of your time to see my husband get ridiculous.
First of all, is the new blogger layout blowing anyone else's mind? For real...I feel like a grandmother on a kindle here. "what's this new fangled thing? Don't know why we need all these fancy-shmancy do-dads. Things were just fine in my day. We had to edit our HTML by hand and we liked it". Oh well. Time (and technology) marches on. I'll get used to it, but forgive me if everything looks a little wonky in the meantime.
Anyway. Last Sunday was potentially the coldest day in the history of spring. So what did we decide to do? Go to Pirates game, naturally.
Thanks to work, we had free tickets in the box, so while it was miserably cold out, we had the luxury of watching the game from a cozy clubhouse, complete with a full spread of food and drink. (We even had the Penguins/Flyers game on for some bonus Pennsylvania sports action.) I typically love a baseball game no matter what (being outside, eating hotdogs, singing songs about old-timey snacks...), but the box is where it's at- if only for the food. We got to gorge ourselves on hot dogs, wings nachos (with sour cream and chilli, not just that orange cheese-ish product the rest of those stadium suckers have to endure), salad, bruschetta, chips and nuts. (not to mention soda and beer). But as much as I love the food, the sunshine (not applicable last week) and the latin rap songs introducing each batter, (and I do love that very much) a new favorite part of the gametime experience is the gear.
Now, I don't actually own any Pittsburgh jerseys (or even a t-shirt) but with a little one around, I'm using anything as an excuse to dress her up. (surprising absolutely no one.) The day before the game involved a quick trip to our local Once Upon a Child for a discount "gently used" Pirates get up. (Yes, our store has an entire Pittsburgh-wear second. Again, surprising absolutely no one.) We scored a practically brand new Pirates onesie, and Piper was thrilled to rep her team. (Don't let Dustin know I said that...He is still convinced she's going to be a Phillies fan.)
And again, despite Dustin's wishes, she even sported a new bow in her scraggly fuzz.
(stop it with those adorable black and gold shoe/socks. Too much!)
And folks, we might just have a baseball fan on our hands here. I'm telling you, she loved every second of it. Maybe it was the bright colors, the crowd noise, or because we cuddled her for hours on end, but she had a blast, and wouldn't take her eyes of the field.
Or more accurately, wouldn't take her eyes off her own reflection in the glass, or the giant TV just on the other side. Girl loves a screen. (even if it's just my camera phone...)
We did venture outside just long enough to snap a couple pics before our ears fell off...
And while she was a trooper, Dustin eventually tired of my (apparently excessive) picture taking. How do I know? This face:
No for real...stop taking pictures...
After the initial excitement, baby girl drifted off into dreamland for innings 4-7 at least (can't say I blame her..baseball is a slow burn) Tragically, she missed the Pierogie race- practically my #1 reason for attending. But she rallied toward the end, and we made it out of the park without a tear.
P.s. The Pirates lost. But shhhhhh....she doesn't have to know...
It's been a while since we've been on a date...two months in fact. Sure, since then we've spent a ton of time together, and we've done a ton of things. We've been out to eat, visited the zoo, taken walks, attended a Penguins game, gone shopping...but all of that involved a tiny tagalong. So while we've had fun, I wouldn't necessarily say our lives are overflowing with romance. And though our monthly goals have moved on, I'm still tied to our tradition from December that encouraged us to prioritize time with each other. Don't get me wrong...family time is great, and an evening on the couch with a movie can be fun...but every once in a while you need to get out, sans kid, for a special husband-and-wife night on the town.
So when my mom called out of the blue to say she wanted to come for the weekend and watch Piper so we could go out...I just couldn't say no.
We didn't have any special plans, but we couldn't squander the chance at a night of childfree fun! We debated what to do...out options were pretty much limitless, but our goal was to take advantage of the evening and plan an outing that we couldn't do with Piper in tow. I mean, she's a great companion most of the time, but she doesn't exactly appreciate things like fine dining or adult conversation.
We figured dinner out was a no brainer, but we wanted to do it up right, and make a night of it with another activity. We thought about seeing a movie (she's definitely not a fan of being quiet for two hours at a time), but there weren't any compelling options. We considered bowling (she might not hate it, but I can't imagine a more disgusting place to bring a baby than a bowling alley), but the weather was so beautiful out, it seemed like a shame to waste the evening indoors. So after some hemming and hawing, we eventually we settled on an old standby- miniature golf!
Once the plans had finally been made, we were excited to go, but a little hesitant to leave Piper for the evening. We knew she'd be in good hands, but it's hard not to feel guilty for leaving her, or like we're burdening whoever is watching her. Dustin felt the worst...he suggested we just go somewhere quick for dinner so we could get back, but my mom assured me that they truly wanted to be with her, and that we should relax, have fun and not hurry home. So we prepared a bottle, layed out some jammies, and hightailed it out of there before any of us could change our minds.
And from the minute we got in the car...we just had a blast. I thought we might have to make a "no Piper" clause to keep our date from devolving into a night of baby-talk, but honestly, we barely mentioned her. We were having too much fun to worry much about how the rest of the family was doing! We laughed and joked, made wagers on the game, and just really enjoyed a chance to relax and be together without any sort of caretaking, schedules or practical concerns to get in the way.
Somehow, after some fierce competition, we ended up tying. What are the odds?!
For dinner, we decided to check out a place several people had recommended for my birthday dinner- Willow. Apparently hitting tiny colored balls around for an hour caused us to work up quite the appetites, because we pretty much ordered the entire menu. In our defense, a lot of the choices were "small plates", so I got a couple of those instead of a real entree, but still...we put a hurtin' on some food:
Clockwise from top left:olive oil and parmesean for dipping; the wedge- baby iceberg, candied bacon, scotch egg, blue cheese dressing, berry compote, grape tomatoes; gnudi- seared ricotta dumplings, veal meatballs, sauteed escarole, sauce bolognese; double cut barbeque pork chop- beer brined bone-in pork chop, grilled with homemade bbq sauce sharp cheddar polenta, collard greens, crispy onion straws; seared scallops and korean pork-seared sea scallops, korean bbq pork belly, miso caramel, marinated shitake mushrooms; grown up mac & cheese- orecchiette pasta, braised short rib, caramelized onions, spinach, brie cream sauce baked with herbed bread crumbs.
Yes, the food was fabulous (I mean, really fabulous). But I think the best part was allowing ourselves to get a few courses, to drink, to talk, to take our time. So many of our meals now are hurriedly eaten while Piper naps, or wolfed down before she gets tired of sitting in her bumbo, or eaten one handed while trying to soothe and/or entertain a cranky baby. To sit next to one another for over an hour, with nothing else to do, and no where else to go, was possibly the most delicious part of all.
Sorry Piper. You are greatly loved, but you weren't terribly missed.
It was a simple evening, but such a wonderful chance to connect with each other. We may have a house, and a baby, and responsibilities, and stress, and wrinkles....But on the inside we're not that far off from the silly kids we were when we met almost nine years ago. I'm still happy to date Dustin, and hope he feels the same way...forever.
I’m Courtney- a loud-talking, big-dreaming kind of a girl with a creative streak I can't turn off, a wholly imperfect love for Jesus, and an overwhelming passion for authenticity. I'm superpumped you're here.
