Good Times, Guilt Free

I went out to dinner last night.  I don't mean to McDonald's or Pizza Hut, either.  I went to an actual restaurant, with real plates and silverware and *gasp* cloth napkins.  There was nice lighting and interesting foods on the menu (disclaimer: i don't eat interesting foods, but I like reading about them).  Best of all, there was good company.  Grown up company.  Company that wanted to converse and laugh, to discuss religion and dance class and all manner of various and sundry things.  Company who did not want me to cut up her food or get her a new pack of crayons for the hostess.  Company that just wanted to be companionable.  It was so pleasant.

We laughed.  We laughed loud and long.  I laughed until my sides started to hurt.  We tried new things.  Yes, I actually tried new foods.  See that "s" there?  It means more than one.  I tried goat cheese and pizza with egg on it, and they were both delicious.  We even had desert.  I haven't had spumoni in years, but I had it last night.  The evening was, to say the least, good fun.

We like to document when I try a new food, just like we do
with babies, b/c it's almost as auspicious an occasion.

In case you couldn't tell from reading the above, I don't get out much.  Not like that, at least, with a couple of girlfriends (or a sister and her girlfriend, whatever), and no kids, and no need to rush back home at a moment's notice because someone got sick or won't sleep or any number of other reasons.  It's not that I can't.  The husband is pretty good about being left home with the kids.  It's that, usually, I prefer to stay home, to stay with the kids and the husband, and that doesn't make for a lot of grown up time.  But tonight reminded me that, even a mom to five kids can and perhaps get away from it all from time to time, if only for the night.  I feel refreshed,  and ready to take on the next however many weeks or months of just being a mom.  I feel like I could cut up a million hot dogs, refill a thousand sippy cups, and do laundry 'til the cows come home.  It's easy to feel guilty about leaving our kids, or our spouses, for any time, especially when it's for something as unnecessary as a dinner with friends.  But I'm starting to think that, once in a while, it is actually absolutely necessary.  It's amazing how one night out, without the kids but sharing stories about them, can not only recharge your batteries, but remind you how much you really do love doing all those mommy things.  I really do love being a mom, a stay at home mom, all of it, even the parts that often keep me from often having evenings such as last night.

So now I want to know: what one little respite from Momdom helps you reboot and feel ready to face it all again?
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