Breakfast Date and Mommy Time

For several weeks Parker has been asking for a just him and me breakfast date on Tuesday morning before HSA. He always has to hear about the things Bash, E, and I do after we've dropped him off, and he's really been craving that one on one time. Unfortunately, Michael's schedule has been such that it hasn't allowed it lately, but today Michael didn't have to work and Parker and I were finally able to have our breakfast date. 

He chose Starbucks. We walked in hand in hand, and he was easily the youngest person there by about 20 years. My boy led me through the tables of people discussing their plans for the day or typing away on their laptops to the front where he asked my opinion on what he should eat for this special breakfast. After we ordered he happily selected a table, one of the tall ones that we can't usually sit at when we're with his baby sister, and he pulled out a chair for me with a huge grin. I sipped on my coffee and listened to him chatter between bites of his breakfast sandwich and drinks of chocolate milk. 

He's so big. He's so smart. These are things I already knew, of course, but when it's just me and him I am able to focus on them with a new eye. He's frighteningly observant. He takes in everything going on around him and relates it back to me in this cheery, matter of fact way that he has. I think he develops more freckles daily.

And he's a bit of a goofball. 

Also, for some reason that I can't quite understand, he thinks I'm pretty awesome. 

When it was time to go he asked, very casually, if I would walk him all the way in to his classroom today. Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world. He was the first one in his classroom today, which is apparently a huge deal in first grade, and there is no shame in giving your mommy a hug and a kiss no matter who is watching. I love first grade.

I found myself, five minutes later, in a van that seemed far too large and absurdly quiet. What in the world does a mommy with no littles do?!

Luckily I got a call from our very best friend right about then. He'll be coming to see us in the spring, and we were able to talk for an hour and a half uninterrupted! (That never happens with the littles around.) 

I also browsed through our local Once Upon a Child while we talked. Lord knows that what The Lady needed was more shoes. And what Mommy Time would be complete without a trip to Target's dollar area? 

I'm not sure I've quite perfected the Mommy Alone Time yet, but I'm getting better. Besides, the best part of being gone is getting to come home to a husband reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to two littles who are sooooo excited to see you when you walk in that an outsider would assume you'd been gone months instead of a couple of hours. 

It was a good day. I even got to talk to my awesome cousin, Alex, which was icing on the cake in my opinion. 

It was a good day.