A Night to Remember

Last week, I did something I rarely do. I kept my kids out past their bedtimes and took them to an "adult" event. A friend of a friend invited me to an art show with the caveat "offspring welcome" (nice). At the behest of my friend, I braved the room of wannabes and hipsters with two children in tow. It was a recipe for disaster, but instead it bordered on magical. Wesley entertained some people with his budding beat-boy style of dance, while Catelynn charmed anyone who looked her way. After we toured the modest graphic art display, I entertained Wesley with thumb wrestling and hot hands. There were also snacks, which are intricate to any successful evening. The show had a paper airplane theme, and there were a plethora of them scattered around the seating area. These held our interest for an extended period of time. By the end of the night, we were engaged in a full-on battle, flying them at each other across the empty buffet table. Perfect strangers joined in, including a guy in a fedora and a grandma-type woman. It was one of those moments. When we headed home at 9:30!, both kids were still joyful and energetic. We hurried through the bedtime routine without protest. Cate was tucked into her bed, and I lay down with Wesley for a brief cuddle before he drifted to sleep. He whispered, "Mommy, I smell something good." "Oh yeah?" I replied. Then he said "Yeah, I think it is coming from you." It was the perfect end to a special evening.