Grown Up Time

This past weekend was the most adult interaction sans kids that I've had since maybe my solo trip to California in 2014. It was a little weird to see so little of my children, but it was also pretty grand.

First, on Friday night J-Man and I got ourselves a babysitter. We were slow in figuring out the logistics, but I decided to step outside my comfort zone and check in with a new friend at church who has twin sophomore girls and magically it all worked out. As a result we got to spend an evening eating grown up food with no one on our laps or pulling at our arms needing something every few minutes. We talked about grown-up topics, despite still using words like potty out of habit, and got seriously competitive in a guys vs girls battle.

My coca-cola (the first I've had in months which left me feeling like wheeeee!!!!) wore off by around 11 so we scooted out a bit early, but not before impressing ourselves with our weeknight stamina. It also should be noted that J-Man rocked his new suit.

Saturday morning reinvigorated us with kid time as PDG got to cash in his bedtime sticker chart for a trip to Chuck E. Cheese. I'd never been before, and I'd love to say I'll never go again. Talk about over-stimulation... Yikes. I mean, I know all we did was spend twenty bucks on tokens and play til they were all gone, but it felt like we'd forked over a lot more of ourselves than that one bill. Some of my sanity might've been left behind too.

As a result, I didn't feel so bad chatting with Miss M via facetime for the majority of lunch and naptime. She's far away in San Francisco, so there's always lots to catch up on, and all the usual grown up topics: babies, houses, bills, job satisfaction etc.

That evening I got to cash in my own Christmas gift and head to the Kennedy Center with my friend Miss S. There we got to see Darren Criss (Blaine from Glee) and Betsy Wolfe (whom I now want to see in more shows asap) sing along with the National Symphony. It. Was. Awesome. My musical theatre nerdiness was fully reinvigorated and J-Man spoiled us with super amazing seats.

If you're thinking, yeah Nicole, that's a lot of grown-up time, just wait. On Sunday, I had my Sunday School and Relief Society classes where I could enjoy lessons knowing that PDG was happily learning and MDG too. In fact, for the first time in the nine months since MDG has been old enough to attend the nursery program (like babysitting with a short lesson and snack and singing time), he finally went in without crying. Not only that, he ran over to the guy who always holds and comforts him while he cries, and gave him a big, happy hug.  I know the crying never lasts too long, but what a little miracle to see it not even start.

Then lastly, Sunday afternoon I went Visiting Teaching (every woman 18+ gets assigned someone to visit her once a month and/or check in periodically) and this was my first time going in years. My companion and I checked in with three different ladies, saw a couple beautiful A-town houses and chatted far longer than anticipated.

But as we soaked in the sunshine together as a family when we could these past days, there's been no doubt my favorite place to interact. With these silly, happy, loving boys of mine.

Gooooo-ing to the Lodge

Somehow, the photos in this series taken in our hotel room actually sum up the whole experience pretty well. So...

When I first told PDG we were going to a place called Great Wolf Lodge and that it would be a giant spray park but that his daddy only got to take one day off because of work stuff his face probably was about like this

 And when he'd had a full car trip's worth of anticipation, plus a visit to the Wal-Mart for snacks, Sonic for food, and been walked all through the lodge without getting to get wet because our room wasn't ready yet, he looked more like this

Finally, though, we got into our giant loft room, slapped on some bathing suits, and hit the fabulous indoor water park. There was so much for a 2-year-old to do and see his mind exploded a little. Like this

Thankfully he wasn't a perplexed scaredy-cat for too long, and we got him to go down the medium-kid water slides all by himself, jump around in the wave pool, and master the little-kid slides. He was totally like this

We spent three days and two nights there - the perfect amount of time. Yes, I did at one point push him down a slide crying because I knew he could do it and he'd had fun before. Yes, he also got scared in the big family raft tunnel/slide. But. Yes, he was so proud of himself exclaiming "I did it!" every time he did something he was scared of.  Just like this

We had fun. Mama and Papa H seemed to have fun too, letting J-Man and I tackle the bigger slides while they babysat and waded in the shallow pool.  I may have shrieked "ohmygoodness" on repeat during the entirety of at least one slide, but I kept going back for more.  The water is finally out of my ears and we'll for sure be going back in another year or two to see what little man MDG thinks of it all.  My guess is he's gonna be far more fearless than his big brother.

And, speaking of MDG, here he is too. In his reversible wolf ears. (italics are for you, J-Man)

 

And one more silly one, for good measure

B the Babysitter

The update you get when a 24 year old guy babysits your kid...

"He kept lying down face first at like 650 so I gave him his bottle he pounded that and he passed out staring at that creepy lamb. -b"