Date night again

So, it was a Saturday again, and I needed a reason to get up in the morning. For some reason, although weekends should be a family-fun-filled experience, I sometimes get a little depressed. I think it's because I'm sort of newly surprised every weekend that I'm not 18 years old anymore and that weekends don't neccessarily mean anything. I'm not going to a party, or a movie, or to drive around in the car with my friends listening to music and eatting twizzlers, (alright....that's what we did at 15....not 18). And, one would think that since I've been a mother since I was 22 years old that I'd be over this by now. But I'm not.

I know most moms plan on Saturdays being for cleaning up the house, running some errands, doing a little yard work, and maybe throwing in a fun little trip with the kids to something like ice cream. And that is because they are real moms....and they are grown-up responsible women. Me? I lay on the bed moaning on the weekend afternoons wondering if I'll ever get to have fun again. What is wrong with me?  But if someone (my husband) whispers the words "date night" then all of a sudden I'm okay. I can go to the library with the kids, clean the house, take the fam to the park...I'm all good. I just like knowing that something "grown up" is coming later that evening.

I know that is a ridiculous way to be. And I know some moms feel that way but just literally can't get a babysitter to go out...and I've been there. On nights like that I have to content myself with a glass of wine and some take-out. We don't do the sitter very often...it feels like such a luxury. But I sure like it when we do! We love Coco! And, she lives down the street. Even better.

Our first stop was my friend Brigitte's house for drinks. We also needed to see her husband's recent work. They just opened an art gallery and they are collaborating on a big show coming up in April!

Then we went to one of my favorite restaurants in the city. La Fonda. Latin food at it's best. It's pretty far north from where we live, but it's worth the drive. Carne asada (with empanadas for an appetizer) is probably my favorite date-night dinner...when I'm not in the mood for sushi. The steak is amazing and it comes with plantains (love them! salty and sweet....my favorite combo) and rice and beans.

The only thing that keeps putting a damper on my city adventures lately has been the parking meter rate-hike. It's now $2/hour to park at a meter! That's not an exorbitant amount of money to pay for parking, but the problem is that who has 16 quarters floating around their car at any given moment?! 16 quarters for 2 hours! They need to put a change machine on every corner if they're going to do that to us.

Well, anyway, the Big Guy saved the day by running into a nearby grocery store for change...so we were all set.

Oh, and these are my latest thrift-store find. Red flats. I love red shoes...but don't think of them as practical, so I don't normally consider them. But for $5 I considered them!

Ah, La Fonda's....it was only missing Dan and Robin or Laura and Ben to accompany us. Fellow latin food lovers and dear friends/family.

Here's me...I'd like to blame this cheesy pose on too much sangria, but I can't. Because with all the rice and beans and rich food, you can hardly get a buzz on when you're at La Fonda's. This is just a regular ole' cheesy pose.

Do we have to go home? Alright, alright. But wearing red shoes, eatting good food, and smelling the fresh (city) air does make me feel like a real woman again...at least for a week or two....then I'm gonna be on the phone with Coco again so that I can get my date-night fix.