Hubby and I had a much-needed date night last night and it was perfect!

It's rare he and I get out alone, because we don't have family living anywhere close and these days it costs $10/hour for a sitter. By the time you have dinner and a movie, you've spent $40 just on the hired help! It's rather cost-prohibitive.

A family from school invited both our kiddos over for a sleep-over with their children (same ages, same genders).  The fact that this fellow mom was willing to deal with 4 children all night and most of this morning with the sole intent of giving us a date night makes me feel as though I need to stop at a florist on the way to picking up the kids and bring her flowers to say, "Thanks!"  That is no small feat.

Once we dropped the kids off, Hubby and I met some of his former co-workers at a small red-neck bar on the water, where we had a drink outdoors and said our goodbyes to a young man who was moving out-of-state for another job.  We laughed a lot.  Those co-workers are witty, sarcastic and oh-so-fun.

Next stop was the theater to see Interstellar.  It's the movie about a group of space explorers who use a newly discovered wormhole to travel beyond our solar system in search of a planet that can sustain life, as humanity faces extinction on earth.  Overall, it was an interesting and entertaining movie.

Our last stop before heading home was dinner at a quaint late-night eatery with good comfort food and a gregarious owner who was so interesting we invited her to pull up a chair and chat with us during our meal.

This morning, we awoke to silence.  No child opening our bedroom door at 6:30 a.m. to see when we were getting up. No need to fix anyone breakfast. No pleading for t.v., playdates or leftover Halloween candy.  No homework struggles.  Just blissful silence. I laid in bed for a while and just soaked up the quiet, letting my own thoughts dance around my head for a while before getting up.

I don't have to get the kids for another 4 hours.  I think I'll ignore the homework and work-related writing that's calling my name and indulge instead in a bubble bath and a good book.

When's the last time you had a date night?

Labels: babysitters, date night, Interstellar, kids, movies