Hey Jack!

Last night was a momentous occasion. I got to go out. Pause for effect. Okay, that wasn't that momentous, I do get to go out a couple of times a month and Charlie is great about it. But last night was different. For the first time in a year and 8 days, I did not put Amanda to bed. That may sound like small potatoes to you, but for me that is a big deal. A huge deal. A, well, momentous occasion.

I went to the Jack Johnson concert with my friend, Melanie, and her friend, Shelley. I love Melanie. She is so fun and tells fabulous stories with great detail. Shelley was loads of fun too and I hope to get to see her again. They both made me laugh more than I've laughed in a long time and you know what they say about laughter? It's good for the soul. The $14 margaritas and all of Shelley's red wine may have had something to do with it (I didn't drink it but she did), but that just makes it all the more fun.

We had to be some of the oldest people out there, and since I am three years older than Mel and Shelley that made me the winner of the "Oldest Lady at the Concert" contest. Maybe not at the concert, but definitely sitting in the lawn. With all the young twenties smoking cloves and pot. I swear when Amanda woke up in the middle of the night and I rocked her she fell asleep extra fast because of the second-hand pot smoke in my hair and oozing out of my pores. The girl next to us put on an amazing show with her dancing. It was almost, no actually, it was more entertaining that Jack himself.

I got home so late, even later than I normally stay up, and got up early due to Sarah having a nightmare or something else she refused to tell me about (aren't four-year-olds fun?) and was totally dragging all day long, but that did not dampen my spirit from last night. I felt this extra sense of freedom. Like now that I've done it once, I can do it again. It's all starting to balance out. Maybe next time I can go for more than one night. Wouldn't that be fabulous? It's not that I don't want to be around my kids, because I love them dearly, but I am around them A LOT. It is good for them, and for me, when I get a little time for myself to do grown-up stuff and I'm not always mom. Plus, then they get to spend quality time with Daddy, who they love more, and Daddy appreciates me just a little bit more when I get home.

Overall, a great way to spend my first night of freedom.