Mommy gets to go out with girlfriends!

My friend from HS and two friends from college *just* called and invited me out to dinner since they are in town!

I am excited and don't even remember the last time I saw some of these ladies.

Fortunately, Patrick doesn't mind coming home and watching Wesley at the last minute so I can have a night out ;) Oh ... and we were going to paint the master bathroom ... he'll probably enjoy that too. Or perhaps he'll just play with Wesley and have a fun night of his own. (UPDATE: he played with Wesley and prepared our paint supplies for today.)

I threw together this outfit and think it, along with the red heels, help balance the 45 LBS I've gained so far.

Canoing in the morning and gabbing with girls in the evening ... not a bad day at all!

UPDATE:
We had a wonderful time. Everyone looked great -- maybe even better than in college. I know I feel better than I did about myself back then.

In a way, I had a great time seeing everyone and laughing about silly things. In another way, I wanted to know everyone a little deeper -- What are they doing? What are their dreams. But the conversation stayed light and bounced like a ping pong ball from the recent to the distant past with laughter stringing the two.

The end of the night (for me) came and I told a lie. I said, "It's 9:30? OK, it's safe for me to return home since Wesley is probably asleep."

Then I got in my car and secretly wished that he would be awake long enough for me to give him a hug and a kiss and say good night.

He wasn't. He was cuddled up in bed with his hands by his face, his body wrapped like a caterpillar in a cocoon of white sheets. I kissed him and he didn't stir. And then I talked to Patrick to process the evening.

While I longed for that deeper sister connection, I will cherish for a long while just sitting and chatting about unimportant things -- and feeling beautiful among beautiful woman ... and feeling more free than I felt at 17 -- even with (or perhaps because of) my husband and son and the chores I left behind.

And here we are: