Check, please.

I think the last time Daphne and I were able to go out to eat, just the two of us, was back in June. It's not like we haven't tried to have a date night, but stuff just happens.

Last October we both took a personal day off of work so we could celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We were going to sleep in as much as we could, drop Char off at day care, and then spend the day shopping and eating. We had the whole day planned out, and then Charlotte woke up with a 103 temperature, and we didn't even leave the house. See? Stuff just happens.

We do occasionally go out to eat, but we're always a trio. It's nice not having to cook or clean up, but I have to have a completely different mind set when we take Char to a restaurant as opposed to eating as a couple. Here's my mental list:

* Ketchup packets are not playthings.
* They are especially not chew toys.
* Ordering a meal that your daughter loved last week guarantees nothing.
* Sneak in a few containers of her favorite crackers. That's probably all she'll eat.
* Possession is 9/10ths of the law. Even if she refuses to eat anything on her plate, it's still her plate and her food. Swipe at your own peril.
* Take three times as many napkins to your table than you think you'll need.
* Small tables are a recipe for disaster, so get the biggest table you can. Otherwise, she'll tip over a huge water glass, and you'll be using all those napkins before the food even arrives.
* Putting an energetic child in a booster seat is like leaving your dog in the back yard with the gate open. Both will escape and you'll run all over trying to catch them.
* Be prepared to apologize to the patrons seated near you.
* Just bringing a child to a restaurant necessitates a 10% increase in your tip.
* By the time Mom gets to eat her own food, it will be cold.

On February 22, we're going to try again. My sister-in-law is coming over to watch Char, and Daphne and I are going to have appetizers at Dos Rios, and then walk over to Fong's for some Chinese pizza.

At least that's the plan. But if stuff just happens, I'll be mentally ready.