Back up with me to Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend. We were over at Susan and Jason's place (Phil's sis and brother in law) playing games. All the kids were either napping or contentedly playing. All of the sudden Rose (Phil's mom) announces that she wants to take all of the grandkids back to her house. We all turn and look at her like she's gone off the deep end. It may not seem like a big task, until you know the ages of all the grands. Our three are 7.5, a month shy of being 5, and 2. Susans' boys are 2.5 and 1. Three boys under the age of three. Yup, we were certain that she'd lost it. Rose however was very insistent that it'd be fun and they'd be fine. We promised to pray for her and keep the phones close.
After some car seat arranging, they were off, and all of the sudden we had two hours to do whatever we wanted! Phil and I looked at each other, and when I suggested tofu spring rolls, we were gone with a flash.
Side Note: We go to the Vietanne restaurant pretty much every time we get a date night, and if it's too far in between, Phil will actually go and get a take out order of the spring rolls. It's a place that we could take the kids, but most likely would be greeted with 'eww' and 'I don't like that'. For as many new foods as we like to try, and diverse eating patterns, Abi has decided to not like anything Asian. Well, except for sesame chicken and fried donuts, but that's more american asian and not authentic. So Vietanne (pronounced vee-uh-chung) is our secret little getaway. A family owned restaurant with amazing authentic food, and we go there often enough that 'Alex' (his american name b/cuz we americans cannot pronounce his real one) knows what we're there for. So if you are adventurous, go there and you're palette will never be the same. Even if you're not the pad tai will change your idea of what pad tai is forever.
Ok, plug over.
We enjoyed our spring rolls, and then decided to go look at this little farm right on the outskirts of town. We drove around taking the extra long way there, enjoying some good conversation on the way. In case you're curious, the farmhouse itself looks great, the property, not so much. But we've got to dream dreams, so it's always fun to look.
We get home and are nearing the end of our time, when Phil gets a text saying they're running a bit late and will be home in maybe a half hour. Then a few minutes later 'I'm keeping them for an overnight'. We look at each other and wonder if Abi got a hold of grandma's phone, and then call. Nope, everything is going so well that she really wants to keep all five of the kiddos for the night. I'm a bit nervous as Wesley had not been away overnight from me before, and I'm sure it showed as I started detailing his bedtime habits.
Stunned, Phil and I are kind of at a loss of what to do. We've not had a night without any kids since our babymoon trip while pregnant with Wesley back in April 2010. We start throwing out ideas. Go to the movies, do some work around the house, go out on the town. Each one gets shot down by the other. I don't want to pay to sit and watch a movie, especially with my annoying pregnant bladder. Phil doesn't want to do anything around the house because we could do that when the kids are home. With it being Sunday night there's nothing to do out on the town. 'We could try riding the tandem bike, I'll know in a block or two whether or not it'll be comfy for me'. Change of clothes, water packed, and we're off.
Since we traded Phil's road bike in for the tandem this summer we've not had the chance to go on it just the two of us. Usually we hook the bike trailer on the tandem and pull Wesley while the girls ride their bikes. It's quite the circus to see, in fact Abi saw someone taking pictures of us once!
I was quite pleased to discover that I could still belly wise be comfortable on the bike. That's the great thing about our tandem, as the passenger, I can sit up straight and just pedal. No leaning forward necessary. Since we were having a great time, and I could actually hear Phil, we decided to trek out to Hall Country Park. It's a 5.25 mile ride there from our home. Things were going great, we made it out there in splendid time. While I was in the restroom Phil got a text from his sister saying that Wesley was having a rough time. Cue mama guilt and concern. Contacted Rose to see if we needed to come get him, but she said she'd try a few more tricks with him, and thankfully he settled in just fine.
As I was getting tired and hungry, we turned around and headed back, with the plans to go back to Susan and Jason's for more games. We crossed Stolley Park road, when our front tire went totally flat. It was getting dark, so I was very grateful that Phil was with me. I'm a bit more nervous about being out after dark in Grand Island than I ever was in Kearney. With no other options than to push the bike back, we started out, hoping that Phil's sister would be home by the time we got there. No such luck, so we left the bike parked at their place and texted them to let them know what was up. It was about a 2.5 mile walk by the time we got home, and I haven't been so sweaty or shaky in a long time. Give the pregnant lady some props, I biked 8 miles and walked 2.5 with only some tofu spring rolls to tide me over!
We got cleaned up, ate some stick to your ribs food, and headed out once again, at ten o'clock at night. Now those of you who know me might be thinking that was a typo. I assure you, crazy as it may seem for this go-to-bed-around-9pm-each-night girl, I really did leave my home at 10pm! This is why I shouldn't have nights away from the kids, I self-destruct immediately. No, actually Phil had pleaded with me to stay up and enjoy some time with Susan and Jason sans kids. There was the promise of sleeping in for me the next day, and as much as dislike staying up late, I agreed.
Here's the next shocker, I agreed to play a strategy game. I'd much rather play word games such as scrabble, boggle, 3d scrabble, etc. However, Phil's whole family loves this game called Settlers of Catan. We'd just gifted them the Seafarers version as a 'hooray for signing on with GI clinic!'. Not only am I staying up late, I'm playing a strategy game. Not only am I playing a strategy game, I'm learning a new one, an hour past my bedtime, without any caffeine. Not only did I stay up hours past my bedtime playing a new strategy game, but I won! Usually halfway through the game I either get stuck or bored. It happened this time too, but no one else was doing much, and by golly, I wanted to go to bed. So I thought to myself, 'fiiiiiine, I'll take the looong way around and maaaaybe I can do something'. Winning my bedtime back never felt so good. Of course, next time I play I'll probably be the mark...
Phil stayed good to his promise and let me sleep in. Even more shocking was that I actually did, until 8:40ish! He made me breakfast, and then he cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned, all the way until lunch. I teased him that he was nesting. He saw it as a way to continue to say thanks for sacrificing the night before, and helping me out with some little things that I don't get done. Like cleaning the front of the fridge, the sides of the table, the patio door. Little things that I can overlook because there is usually more pressing needs such as cooking, laundry, or general tidying.
It was a wonderful time, and when the kids came running in the door screaming we're home and running up to give us hugs, it ended perfectly.
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