January 23, 2006
daterrific!
Hey, so did you all watch the first part of Bleak House on PBS last night? Wasn’t it wonderful? Isn’t Gillian Anderson a perfect Lady Deadlock?
Oh, that’s not what you want to hear about, is it? Okay–my date. My date was fantastic. In fact, it was $175.00 worth of fantastic! Yes! Really! Can you believe it? And no, that does not include the cost of any new shoes (or any new anything!) for me! That was just dinner and the sitter! See why we never go out?
We went to Cafe Nova (click the link, it’s totally worth it), which is, of course, owned by John Paul Merritt, who you remember from season three of the Bachelorette. He proposed to Jen and she said no and everyone was all ‘How could she choose JERRY over John Paul?’ but then she said no to Jerry, too, remember? And we were all horrified, but we can’t really hold it against her because really, who ACTUALLY meets their soul mate on reality TV? Jen started out with that Firestone heir and we all though THAT would last forever and it didn’t, so at least she was being more careful this time, although John Paul does really seem to be a nice guy, and I’ve met his mother and she’s lovely. And now he has this fantastic restaurant! Where he reportedly hangs out on the weekends!
And why wouldn’t he? It’s a beautiful place, and crammed to the gills with Beautiful People. Like our hostess, who was young and stunning and wearing (under a very nice cream-coloured cardigan sweater) a gold sequined bra. Where do you get something like that, I wonder?
But on this particular Saturday night, no John Paul. And sadly, no Molly either, as she had a sick child (102 degree fever! Yikes!). But her husband came and met us and the three of us had a wonderful time talking about how J. K. Rowling cornered the juvenile literary market (because she writes well, unlike so many of the people writing for children) and whether there is such a thing as a truly non-fictional narrative (I say no, there isn’t, but others at my table–ahem, you know who you are–disagreed). And nary a once did anyone ask me to cut up their chicken nuggets or announce ‘I have to go POTTY!’ or insist we go home! Hooray!
Cafe Nova is, shall we say, a little out of Wade’s and my range, both in terms of the cost (our portion of the bill was honestly $145.00. For dinner and drinks. And Wade wants you to know that we did NOT order off the entrees section of the menu, only off the appetizers and salad parts. Although we did have a nice cheese platter and dessert) and in terms of the hip factor. I was painfully frumpy in my nice cashmere sweater and nice black Ann Taylor skirt (I did wear a pair of sexy slingbacks, but they were under the table all evening). The food was, frankly, fine–the cheese plate was the best part, which is a little sad, I think. But! Did I mention that I wore slingbacks? With a heel that I can only barely walk in? And that no one asked me to carry them? Hooray!
For our next date, we will be going to a movie. At the dollar theater. With perhaps a stop at McDonald’s for something of the dollar menu. But I think I will wear my slingbacks again, just for fun.
Today, of course, I’m back in my routine–you know, the Monday routine where at least one child doesn’t go to school, thus depriving me of the ONE DAY A WEEK that everyone is supposed to go to school. That routine. Charlie is home with me today, for no good reason; he’s not sick (at least not that I can diagnose, although he did fall asleep on the floor in his room at 10:15 this morning, which is unusual–the early nap, not the floor part) but in the parking lot at his school he threw the mother of all tantrums, complete with screaming and crying and kicking and hanging on to the car, and could neither be reasoned nor carried into school. And because both my mother and my mother-in-law may be reading this, I will say, yes, I probably SHOULD have just dragged him in, but really, he was so upset and it’s possible he is getting sick and it’s day care, after all, not actual preschool and I TRIED, for fifteen minutes, I really did. And no, I don’t know if bringing him home was the right thing to do, but it’s what I did.
So, once again, I have a child with me today, and his punishment (and mine!) is that we are not going ANYWHERE, least he get the idea that throwing a tantrum during school drop-off will land you at Starbucks, which means that I haven’t had enough coffee. Or enough alone time. And it did kind of take the buzz off my let’s-wear-sexy-shoes-and-not-talk-about-the-children weekend.
But other than that, my date was terrific!
Update: Hey, guess what? Charlie has a STOMACH VIRUS! The poopy kind, not the vomity kind, and you’re welcome! Because I knew you were wondering. So not only did I have him at home today, but I will have him with me ALL DAY TOMORROW! Because he can’t be around anyone for AT LEAST 24 hours! And then I will probably have Henry home on Wednesday! Because that’s how these things work!
And while this makes me a good mommy for not leaving him at Day Out, it still makes me a crabby mommy. Because he’s SICK! God help us if I get it.
Posted by Susan @ 11:13 am • Uncategorized
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January 23rd, 2006 at 12:58 pm, Chag Says:
I would’ve turned around and taken my kid home as well. And I have.
January 23rd, 2006 at 1:18 pm, M&Co. Says:
You spent $145 and didn’t get an entree?!?
And the tantrum thing. Yeah, take him home and send him to his room. Sounds like the right thing to do to me.
January 23rd, 2006 at 2:09 pm, ieatcrayonz Says:
Wow, I always had a hunch that a $145 meal would necessitate an extra zero after the decimal.
WOW.
January 23rd, 2006 at 2:20 pm, Jenorama Says:
The nap indicates, to me at least, that he is probably fighting something off. The tantrum too. And you’re right– it’s daycare, not school.
Though, I would probably hesitate to send a child to school after that (though, I have done both– taken the kid to school and run, and headed home with the kid).
I would have deliberately gone to Starbucks, gotten myself a lovely coffee, and made sure he saw all of the lovely things that, “We don’t buy for people who have had tantrums and refused to go to daycare.”
But I am mean like that.
January 23rd, 2006 at 4:03 pm, adria Says:
Your date sounded great - even though you did not get any new clothes or an entree! I love going to fancy places - although I always feel I am not wearing the appropriate outfit.
So sorry that Charlie is not feeling too well. That morning nap should sound an alarm in your home that something is up and the day will be somehow altered!
My car did not start this morning - I just love Mondays. Tood news: It is running now.
January 23rd, 2006 at 5:44 pm, Nothing But Bonfires Says:
What? I TOTALLY would have chosen Jerry! He was so boyishly handsome! John Paul just seemed a little…..I don’t know. Sleazy? But if he has a nice mother, all is forgiven.
Sorry about the ….um, pooping. But even though it’s poop, I guess it’s better than vomit? Maybe?
January 23rd, 2006 at 6:10 pm, Susan Says:
Holly, as much as I adore my mother-in-law (and I do! honestly! especially if she’s reading this!) I just MIGHT trade her for JP’s mother. Really.
And Jerry gave me the heebies. I don’t know why. Actually, so did John Paul. And so did Jen.
What was I talking about?
January 23rd, 2006 at 8:04 pm, Ann Wagner Says:
Susan,
You are right—-your Mom is reading this!!! Poor Charlie—he needs Nana there to take care of him.
January 23rd, 2006 at 8:56 pm, Susan Says:
Come on over, Nana–he’s all yours!
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:23 pm, Suburban Turmoil Says:
Ohhhh…. succcckkkksss.
My 12-year-old said a boy threw up in her Algebra class today, so now I’m paranoide we’re going to be privy to the throw-up fests I’ve been reading so much about.
Poop is better than throw up any day. Because you will almost certainly make it to the toilet in time.
Hope things get better over there…
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:47 pm, Andie D. Says:
You know, a dinner out with grown ups is a treat in and of itself. So you spent more than you would’ve normally. How often do you get to go out with friends and WITHOUT the kids?
I’m glad you were able to enjoy yourself. And see, you DID do the right thing by taking Charlie home. Please give yourself a little more mommy credit. You deserve it.
January 23rd, 2006 at 11:22 pm, CarpeDM Says:
I hate Mondays because they like to attack me (it doesn’t help that I go to karaoke on Sundays and don’t get home until 3) but this one was especially horrific with missing my bus and getting on the wrong bus and then throwing up (not on the bus though). Poor Charlie. Apparently Monday decided to attack him as well.
Seriously, wear the slingbacks to McDonalds. How cool would that be? And I’m glad you had a good time.
January 24th, 2006 at 12:33 am, Meredith Says:
The appetizers and desserts are usually better than the entrees at the fancy restaurants anyway!
If you and Wade get a chance, you might consider wearing the sexy slingbacks to Starbucks? Liven up the joint.
Where does one get the gilded bra? You should have asked.
January 24th, 2006 at 2:59 am, KatieK Says:
kepp your slingbacks out of range!
January 24th, 2006 at 8:33 am, Kristen Says:
Oh man, so he was sick after all, huh? At least you know you did the right thing and you can stop second guessing yourself. Oh wait, what am I talking about? We never stop doing that.
January 24th, 2006 at 9:06 am, Candace Says:
Ugh. For the virus thing, not for the other things. For the other things, yay!
Especially for the sling-backs.
January 24th, 2006 at 3:40 pm, MIM Says:
Sorry about the sick kid(s). Good thing you took him home.
(And, Susan, your writing voice just CRACKS me up! I love all the explanation points!!)
Oh, and start wearing those slingbacks around the house. Just for the hell of it. I do. Sometimes girl just needs to see her feet in sexy shoes (sigh).
January 24th, 2006 at 6:01 pm, Nancy Says:
Love, love adult dates. I’m having a playdate tomorrow night (wine included) with my daughter’s best friend’s mom. We’re letting the kids come too. Aren’t we generous?
Sorry that Charlie is not feeling well — hope he’s doing better soon.