1. A quiet lunch ... When we go to restaurants with the Little Dude, my husband and I don't really taste what we're eating. We shovel in some grub with one eye on the boy in case he throws the salt shaker or chokes. Or, we take turns letting him run around and greet his fellow diners. I used to mourn the loss of a quiet, savored lunch. But when I thought about it, I don't really remember them. They're a blur, whereas I could tell you about the time the Little Dude marched into the kitchen at Ruby's and told the line cooks, "Go!"
2. Sleeping in ... I haven't slept beyond the hour of eight since I was seven months pregnant. The Little Dude is now two years old. However, the 17 year-old high school senior next door often sleeps in till one in the afternoon. So I figure that in 15 years, I'll sleep again. In the meantime, I wouldn't miss a second of watching Thomas the Tank Engine on PBS with the Little Dude on my lap as the sun creeps through the cracks in our curtains.
3. A hot date ... I can remember the anticipation as I waited for my husband on our first date. I'd chopped off my hair and was this close to calling it off. Even though I was mortified and tongue-tied, I went through with it. Last week, I went on a date with my husband. Both of us ran through the house like our asses were on fire, making sure the Little Dude's jammies were in order and his favorite snacks on the counter for Omi to find. When we finally get to a restaurant we've never been to, or an old favorite, we have a lot more to talk about than on our first date. And my hair always looks better.
4. An empty laundry hamper ... I should buy stock in whoever makes laundry detergeant. When my mom comes to visit, she loves to do our laundry, especially the Little Dude's. She loves the smell of Dreft, the tiny clothes in her hands and folding the itty bitty socks into tight balls. I know one day I'll miss the piles of crib sheets and fluffy blankets with smiling bears on them, especially when I pull his Abercrombie and Fitch jeans out of the dryer and find a condom wrapper in the lint trapper.
However, the one thing I will wish for is to enjoy every moment of my Little Dude's little-ness. I love my dates with my husband and a gossipy lunch with the girls. But for now, kneeling on the floor and looking into the adoring, dancing eyes of my two year-old and saying, "I love you" is the best thing of all.
