A Big Weekend

The last few days have been busy for us, with events both big and small worth mentioning.

First, Don and I continued our new ritual of playing chess on Friday evenings.  Instead of sitting in front of the TV and flipping between our three public television and two old movie channels (no cable), we now nurture our middle-aged noggins with a game that he loves but hasn't played in decades and I attempted in high school but never mastered.  This was our second week, and I awarded myself "Most Improved" since I was able to survive a full hour before he captured my king.

Saturday morning, we attended our first E*ster egg h*nt of the year.  Unfortunately, the balmy weather we enjoyed a couple of weeks ago was long gone, and hats and mittens were the order of the day.  Sarah was super excited and had a blast.  She was still in the 0-3 age group, so she had a distinct advantage this year.  After collecting about a dozen, she decided to leave the rest for the other kids.  She was pleased with her haul of T**tsie rolls, chocolate eggs, and a tattoo.  When we got home, she rushed to the bathroom to apply the tattoo all by herself.

Saturday was also "Date Night" for Mom and Dad.  Sarah adores her babysitter and was at least as excited as we were.  I decided it was time to try having Kelsey put Sarah to bed.  I wasn't optimistic it would work, but I figured we had to start somewhere, and just having her ready for bed when we returned would be nice.

Don and I weren't enthused about our movie options but decided to give The H*nger G*mes a try, since it's gotten so much hype.  We figured, if nothing else, we'd be up on pop culture for a week or so.  We were pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed the movie, despite its dark premise.  The largely teenaged audience must have liked it, as well, as they were silent throughout.

After dinner at our favorite pizza place, we headed home to see how the big experiment had gone.  When the house appeared dark as we approached, I figured Sarah had kept Kelsey reading books in her room, which is on the back side of the house.  When we entered, however, Kelsey was sitting quietly in the living room, and Sarah was sound asleep!  Kelsey said she turned out the lights, and Sarah didn't make a peep.  That girl is full of surprises these days.

I feel as though a whole new world has opened to us.  We can actually stay out later than 8:00 if we want.  Not that we're night owls or social butterflies, but we do get invited to a party every year or so, and now we can stay as long as we want.  The upside for Kelsey is that she no longer has to entertain Sarah for five or six hours when we go out.  We can do "dinner and a movie" in that order, and Kelsey can spend half her shift relaxing.  The icing on the cake is that Kelsey just got her driver's license, so we don't even have to drive her home.  As long as she can make time for us once a month, we've got it made.

As if one milestone wasn't enough, Sarah had another surprise in store Sunday morning in church.  During the service, the minister spends a few minutes talking with the kids in the front of the church.  Sarah has always insisted that I come with her and sit in the front row, while she sits on the step with the other kids.  Yesterday, when the time came, she turned to me and said, "Mom, some day I'll just go up and see Pastor Betsy by myself, and you can sit with Daddy."  I said, "Do you want to try it today?" and she said, "Okay" and trotted down the aisle. 

As luck would have it, since it was P*lm Sunday, there more kids in church than usual, and Sarah couldn't find a place to sit when she got up front.  She ran back to me and said, "Where do I sit?"  I escorted her back up, got her situated, and decided to stay, just in case she lost her nerve.  Instead of listening to the minister, she spent the whole time telling me, in a stage whisper, to go back to my seat.  Once she sets her mind to something.... 

Watching Sarah march away from me was one of my proudest moments so far.  It's taken so long for her to feel safe in the world, and I am elated for her.  I'm not alone.  During coffee time, the minister and other members of the congregation shared their joy, as well (Sarah has a broad fan base).  I no longer fear 4K this fall.  It will be a big step, but I feel confident now that Sarah will be able to handle it just as every other four-year-old does.  What a relief.

After lunch, Sarah decided to take a nap during quiet time (her act of bravery wore her out).  When she got up, she was ready to help Mom and Dad spread bark mulch on the flower gardens.  She is such a hard worker!

All in all, a banner weekend for our little family.  This week holds an Easter party with our playgroup, another egg hunt, and the Big Day itself.  Next week, Sarah and I head to M*ssachusetts to visit my family.  The winter doldrums are definitely behind us!