Happy Saturday!

I'm very excited that it's only Saturday night and it's part of a three day weekend (for me, at least). This weekend is a good balance of fun things to do and recharging at home before Matty starts classes again next week, hence the blog post on a Saturday night.

We had a generous friend come over to put Maddie to bed last night so we could go out and celebrate a very dear friend's birthday. It was super fun to catch up with a couple of ladies I have knows through a lot of great phases in life and Matty and I got to sit back and eat dinner at a very leisurely pace! We even made it for a post-dinner excursion to a nearby bar, even if we did only have one drink before we were pooped and ready to relieve the sitter. I'm incredibly thankful that we always have people willing to hang out with Maddie so we can keep up with our social calendar. Matty and I were talking on the way home and I really don't feel like I've had to sacrifice my social life or ability to keep up with my friends since becoming a mama. I feel like I am able to take advantage of the people who help us out by watching Maddie, and I have awesome friends who are willing to grab dinner a little earlier so Maddie can come along or come over to our place so we can cook dinner and take advantage of post-nigh nigh time cocktails in our living room. Becoming a parent changes so much, but maintaining my friendships will always be a high priority and I am glad that I can make it work. I hope that Maddie benefits from seeing the great relationships around her, as well as the wonderful people we get to call our friends who have such a strong influence on her. Thanks friends, I love you all to pieces!

By some miracle, we were up until almost midnight after getting in for the night, and an even bigger miracle was that Maddie slept well past 7:30 so we got to sleep in! As usual, she wanted pancakes as soon as she woke up, and Matty was all over it. That husband of mine is the pancake master; never have I seen batter from scratch whipped up at such a fast clip, never mind that he usually has a toddler hanging off his leg and a wife who can't do much to help until after that first cup of coffee.

Maddie and I spent this afternoon at a play date with our usual gang, which was really fun for both of us. I love that I've found a group of friends with close in age kiddos who play together and give us mamas a chance to talk shop (aka motherhood). It's nice to be able to compare notes and help each other feel a little more sane raising these toddlers of ours!

We were the first to leave because Maddie seemed super ready for a nap, but of course once we got home it wasn't happening. I think she's been sleeping a little too much at night (never thought I would say that!) so I think we will have to start rousing her a little earlier in the mornings. I am not willing to give up that afternoon nap because without one she is a hot little mess in the evenings. Also, I love my weekend naps! I had to take one today even though she didn't! Her nanny is the absolute master at getting her down for two to three hours during the weekdays and I don't like to mess with perfection on the weekends, you know?

It is snowy and cold and wet and all those other adjectives that so perfectly describe January in New England and I am looking forward to spending the rest of the night curled up with a book and a vodka tonic.

Hope your weekend is lovely so far! Here's a few pics of ours!

Watch out; mama has lipstick on!

Maddie Hammers, turtle wrangler.

Snow falling at the cemetery in our neighborhood; not a black and white filter!