Evan: The Perfect Date (Project 358: Day 136)

I took my little boy on a date last Monday. Our once "thick as thieves" relationship has become slightly strained of late due to a number of factors, including that his sister is two years old and thus sucks up an inordinate amount of my time and energy, leaving Evan to feel a little...under-appreciated. I figured a little Mommy/Evan one-on-one fun time was exactly what we both needed. Boy was I right!

Instead of planning our date for the weekend, I decided it would be fun to do it on a weekday, requiring that we skip preschool. As I anticipated, Evan was super excited by the idea of "playing hooky." He kept giggling and saying, "We're being bad, Mom." He loved the fact that we were in on it together and I loved taking advantage of this freedom, before school becomes more serious and skipping it for lunch and a movie is not so much of an option.

We started our date off with lunch at Dos Coyotes. We sat at the bar, at Evan's request, took silly photos with our food, and talked about a number of things including, but not limited to: the restaurant decor, how excited we were about going to the movies, and armadillos.

My cutie patootie posing with his lunch: bean burrito (no cheese), chips, strawberries.

Super attractive photo of me posing with my GIANT burrito (beans, rice, grilled onions & peppers, salsa, guacamole).

Evan ate every speck of his meal, minus a bean or two.

Day 136: Clean Plate Club!

Then it was off to the movies to see Rio in 3D!

Sportin' our 3D specs, waiting for Rio to start.

We snacked on popcorn, which we purchased at the theater, and Junior Mints, Red Vines, and water, which we snuck into the theater in my purse ("We're so bad!"). The movie was really, really good, with a sweet story line, and visually stunning in 3D. We laughed and whispered to each other throughout, and shared numerous smiles and hand hugs (that's where you hold hands and sqeeeeze real tight). At times, I forgot there was even a movie playing; I couldn't take my eyes off my son. He has grown so much in the past year. Every once in a while, it hits me like a ton of bricks: he is a kid now, no trace of baby left in those arms and legs, so long and lanky. It hit me in that movie theater, as he sat there mesmerized by the movie and oblivious to my musings, so close to me, and yet so far away. I began to resent the arm of the chair that separated us and whispered to him, "You can sit on my lap if you want to, Sweetie."

"No. That's okay, Mom," was his reply and I instantly felt a combination of happiness and sadness. He is becoming his own person, smart, sensitive, creative, curious, and more independent every day, and I am so proud of him. But, of course, it is bittersweet. The more sure he becomes of himself, the less he needs me. Or, rather, he needs me in different ways. Occasionally, he still wants my lap, but there are other times that smiles and hand hugs are the best I'm gonna get. Someday, even those may be hard to come by, as he grows into adolescence and I am no longer his favorite person in the whole wide world. And so, I will cherish those smiles and those hand hugs and occasional lap cuddles, store them in my memory bank for future withdrawals.

I could just gobble him up.

Oh, Evan. You were the perfect date, my love. Let's do this again, very soon.

. . . . . .

While Evan and I were out and about, Stephen and Elinor had a little date of their own. They picked up lunch at the Sunflower Drive-in, then headed to the nearby park (affectionately referred to as the Chicken Park in our house) to eat and play. Here are a few pics from their day:

Lunch: grilled cheese and juice box.

Serving Daddy food at her "restaurant."

Tackling Daddy

Two peas in a pod.