Anytime is Playtime!

There was a time in my life I use to stay up until the break of dawn dancing the night away and drinking mixes of alcohol until my head would spin off to a buzz that made me feel like it was the happiest time in my life.

Fast forward 10 years later I still find myself up…sometimes until the break of dawn… and sometimes it felt like my head was ready to spin off, yet it still felt like it was the happiest time of my life. Especially when my 15 month old dances the night away like she had a few mixes of something so sweet it got her sugar high, jumping up and down the bed, or shaking her bum to the left & to the right even if her only music was my husband’s snore.

The ball of energy this two feet tall monster has 2:30 am in the morning is something I envy. That explains why I’m so fascinated and entertained by her rather than selfishly irritated that I’m not getting my 8 hours of sleep. I actually giggle at the thought of people who think they deserve 8 hours of sleep. I think once you commit to parenthood, you just throw that out the window. Like anything that keeps us up at night, whether it’s the excitement of painting the town red or a project that consumes our mind until we find our peace with perfection. My new passion is this child and the irreplaceable happiness she has brought to my life.

Just like the days when I use to party hard like it was 1999 have turned into amusing memories, so will my early mornings with my daughter. Enjoy it while it last because next thing you know, she’ll be partying outside the house where you can’t watch her – but you’ll still be up at night worried until she makes it back home safely. Parenthood is for life and sleep is for those who rather be lost in their dreams.

How to Valentines with Young Children

How to play Valentines out with young children? Applebee’s – There’s No Place Like The Neighborhood.

I was starving by the time my husband and children picked me up from work because I used my lunch break to sneak out to the mall and do a little shopping for myself (things busy moms do with their childless free time). I jumped out the car and rushed to get inside Applebee’s with my son while my husband and daughter looked for parking. I was afraid there would be a long line by then so I decided to go ahead. To my delight, there was no line in sight. It was only 5:30 p.m. after all.  My son and I were seated right away as the hostess promised to inform my husband and daughter where we were seated. The waiter asked if it was just my son and I. I hurriedly said “Daddy and baby girl are just parking, but I’m famished and ready to order the appetizers” he got the picture since my 4 month pregnant belly stuck out as if telling him to feed this hungry pregnant mama right away before all hell breaks loose.  

By the time Daddy and baby girl arrived at the table so did our delicious appetizers - Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Wonton Tacos Chicken, and Potato Twisters. As my husband and I looked through the menu, the kids were busy coloring their activity mats. Thank goodness for who ever invented these diversions and crayons! And because the appetizers were already available for the kids to munch on, we were settled and relaxed enough to enjoy our stolen moments of eye locking, playing footsie, and sweet conversations on how happy we are to be parents of our almost 3 children. We even enjoyed a toast with the kids and their apple juice, my husband’s beer, and my virgin Piña Colada. By the time our main dishes arrived, we were too full to keep eating. We packed all the food away knowing we had a few more hours to enjoy the rest of the night since we started pretty early.

I have to say, Applebee’s was a great choice for a weeknight celebration like this. We had a wonderful waiter who made our dining experience as a family even more pleasant. Even my son noticed his service and made sure our waiter knew he did a wonderful job. As long as you choose a family oriented restaurant, you’ll have less to worry about.

When we got home, I found a beautiful bouquet of roses on the dining table with a blown up canvas portrait of our engagement before our wedding. One of the sweetest and meaningful Valentines gifts I’ve received from my husband by far. Around the flower vase was a beautiful hand crafted Valentines card made by my children, so unique and special.

We still had plenty of time to do homework with my son and a little rough house play with our baby girl before they were both ready to go to bed. By the time the little munchkins were pooped out in dream land, my husband and I were hungry again so we reheated our Applebee’s leftovers. We enjoyed the rest of the night cuddled with good food while watching a great show in the comfort of our own home.

That’s how we do Valentines with young ones. No traffic + no waiting for seats + no misplaced cranky children = easy breezy fun loving night. That’s what celebrating LOVE is all about.