Don't judge me!

I'm been a mom for 10 1/2 years and we've never hired a babysitter! Crazy, isn't it? This is partly because we have a lot of family around and partly because I'm a control-freak (no one else can do "it" exactly right). And, well, partly because we don't go out much.

The only times I've slept away from my kiddos is while in the hospital with another kid or the one anniversary Friday night we took this past October to stay in a nice hotel. For some reason, I want to be the one to kiss and tuck my kids into bed. They are growing too fast anyway, I might as well enjoy it while I can, right? If I was in the hospital having a baby and couldn't leave the hospital or even in the hospital with Mollee for the week after her tonsillectomy from hell and wouldn't leave the hospital, I made sure Jason would go tuck them in and then come right back to me. I'm sure that wasn't necessary, but it always made me feel better.

When Jason and I get family to stay with the kids, we usually just go out to eat and come right back - which definitely is a treat and I can still put my babies to bed. Plus, I'm not really a night person. That is Jason and I's biggest personality difference. He'd rather stay up late and he hates getting up in the morning and I'd rather go to bed by 10 and I cannot sleep-in in the morning. Even in high school, I'd go to bed by 9 or 10 and then get up at 5 to do my homework and laundry. Weird, I know!

So, tonight we had plans with friends - a double date!! We assumed it would be a late night, so we got a babysitter instead of dumping the kids at my Mom and Dad's and getting back for a late bedtime. We take a girl from church, Alyssa, to school each morning, so we asked her to babysit. Our friends had to cancel last minute, but since we already had a babysitter coming, we decided to just go out, take our time, and enjoy ourselves. Of course, Alyssa did a great job and the kids were so excited to have her come play with them.

It was weird for me to be on the other side of that transaction (the 'how much do you pay' and actually having to take someone home afterwards). I babysat from the time I turned 11 (for Millie and Jeff Henry - doesn't that make me feel old) until I started having my own babies (Jason and I still babysat for a few families after marriage - the Hobbs, the Griggs, and the Schreiners).

So, I survived. I didn't even worry about the kids - really, I didn't! I knew they were in good hands, I knew they were probably having a ball, and I knew my parents were right down the street in case of an emergency.....

and you better believe I kissed my babies goodnight as soon as I got home!

Oh, yeah, and we had a great date too!