Laughing so hard that my cheeks hurt
It's amazing what having a great group of friends can do for ones attitude & demeanor. After a week with the in-laws, Bill being on the fast track to winning the Biggest Jerk of a Husband award, Logan not listening to anything I say & my ribs being stretched out of socket by Carter, I was in dire need of a night out for some fun. I needed to relax & refocus. I am incredibly lucky that I have friends that I can call up for the re-charge that I so desperately needed.

A little more than a week ago, four other friends of mine (in The Club, of course) decided that it was time for us to get out for our own Moms Night Out. We go every month with the rest of The Club & there's usually a big turnout with at least 12 other people there, so conversation is somewhat difficult since you're limited to the people you're seated next to. When we do our "unofficial" Moms Night out, it's just a few of us that get along fabulously together & we tend to get a little more rowdy than we do with the bigger group (I guess because we're that comfortable with each other).

We usually go to the same place for mexican food & margarita's. Being pregnant, I offered to be the designated driver so everyone could relax to the nth degree. They all graciously paid for my dinner & chipped in for gas. We were there for three hours sitting out on the patio, laughing hysterically & being "those" people - the ones that look like they are having way too much fun. And we were.

I laughed so hard that my face literally hurt. I don't think any of us had had that much fun in a very long time. We stayed until the kitchen closed & they were stacking up the chairs around us, all while still laughing & getting into trouble like a bunch of college girls. It was a time that we all left motherhood at home with our families & enjoyed being just "us"; not worrying about bedtime battles, what to make for dinner, the dishes in the sink & the laundry piling up in the closet, the husbands & their comments. There wasn't a care in the world all around our table. It was everything that we needed.

This morning I felt like a completely different person than I had been over the last week. I felt like my old self, even a little better. Sure, Bill still is a running candidate for his award, my ribs are still stretched wider than a football field & Logan still isn't listening to a word that comes out of my mouth, but I could smile again & had an amazing amount of patience with Logan. Even though he had to sit on timeout this morning & I had to drag him up the stairs for nap time, I didn't get to the point where I wanted to rip my hair out - not even close.

I am so fortunate to have the group of friends that I do & that I can take these little breaks away from home that not only help me become a better mother, but also a better person. Friendship, laughter & fun do wonders for the soul.