Weekends as a family

Weekends look much different these days as do many things. Friday night we thought it would be fun to go to a local eatery with lots of kids and parents partaking in spiked drinks and cheese dip. It's funny....I grew up at these types of places on a Friday night but I never knew that while we were coloring on the tables and playing games with our utensils that the adults were having their own fun. So now I know. Brad and I look forward to the day when the little guy gets to order chicken fingers off of the kids menu. Secretly, we just want to be able to enjoy a chicken finger and a tater tot or two even at the fanciest of places. But for now Brooks dreams of sugar plums dancing in his head while the dad and I enjoy a "date."
We realized this night that alot of people actually have kids. This sounds like a dumb realization but when your favorite dining spots lie within the 30326 zip code there are rarely children to be found. But alas, travel a few miles north and you find a whole range of kiddos - anywhere from sleeping infants to popsicle-mustached 5 year olds to 4-eyed ten year old know it alls and usually there are all three types in these Friday-dinner-night-out families. Therefore, our ONE snoozing babe seemed to be the envy of the other diners. After dinner on this night we sat at Starbucks and watched the dads attempt to keep the just-walking little boys out of traffic while the women finished their conversations from dinner. We even got to see a ferocious thunderstorm without being touched by a drop of rain. It was a splendid Friday night as a family. Friday nights sure are easier as a family. When it was just me and Brad we felt unnecessary pressure to try the latest Atlanta hotspot for dinner and we rarely did that alone. And though I love those nights too - it sure is relaxing to just go around the corner with the other folks trying out this "family" thing.
Yesterday we cleaned and organized and exercised and visited grandparents and we were quite content. And today we churched and napped and visited with family passing through and now are enjoying some Sunday golf while the baby yet again sleeps. The weekends truly have become a breath of fresh air....a very welcomed breath of fresh air.
Though you wouldn't know it by the seemingly hap-hap-happy photos and entries on this blog - things have been quite hectic lately so a weekend like this is just what we needed. Happy Sunday to you....I hope you, too, are about to take a nap as you "watch" the Buic Open. Perfect ending to a pretty perfect weekend I'd say....