Date with Gillian

Sean and I had such fun on Mardi Gras at the fais do-do that we decided to make the monthly Cajun dance part of our routine. We weren't sure how we wanted to manage it this time...initially we thought just one of us and Gillian...then just both of us. Then I suggested maybe leaving Addie home to go to bed and bringing Gillian. At the last minute we got a sitter and decided to do just that.

We hyped it up. Gillian getting us all to herself-getting to stay up late. She was so excited. We fed Addie and got her in the bath, Angie arrived and we snuck out the back. Angie is with Addie four days a week now (from 730-930 in the mornings and all day Friday), so it's not traumatic when she's the sitter, and it is liberating to know she knows how to put Addie to bed (as far as the routine goes).

Gillian wore a ridiculous 1st communion dress/"Princess gown" Monica from the Cajun Dance Association had found for her in a thrift store for $1 last summer, and decided she wanted her hair in a bun. Before that we had done our nails and I had curled my hair for the occasion (with the curlers that I have had for years and that Gillian used before me-this was my first time!). We went out to Chili's because it was easy and because we all wanted burgers and fries (their blackbean burger is YUM!). We had to wait awhile, but the entire time, Gillian was absolutely delightful. We got seated and they now have these little games at the table and we all had fun playing them together. We talked and joked and laughed. No one was fighting, no one was arguing, no one was trying to escape their seat, NO ONE WAS WHINING. Oh, it was like an oasis of calm and peace, but WITH our children. Heavenly. And we were truly enjoying every second of our date with our little girl, who it seems, is quite civilized and awesome when she's not vying for attention around her sister. I wondered "would she be like this most of the time if she had been our only child?" Obviously, at the end of the day, I think they will love having eachother, but the difference was something to see.

We headed over to the dance and Gillian recognized Monica and they danced pretty early on. Gillian was so sweet in her little dress and her bun. She and I danced, she and Sean danced, she danced as elegantly as she could muster around Sean and I when we danced. I promise that night and watching her at the dance will be emblazoned on my brain forever, as a symbol of THIS MOMENT in her life. When I have the priviledge of being there for her first dance at her wedding, I will remember her last Saturday night in her four-year-old glory-dancing and twirling, and laughing. Even now, I get a little teary thinking about my beautiful little girl being such a beautiful little girl-there was not a single person who didn't smile watching her in her innocence and freedom. I bet lots of them were parents of a not-so-little girl, remembering a special moment, a memory, that they made a mental note to lock in their repository for posterity. I had a wonderful weekend with my girls.