Look at those lights, Mummy Daddy!

Amongst our family and friends, it is common knowledge that we hardly accept evening invitations. School nights are non negotiable especially now that I am working full time. Friday and Saturday nights are debatable.

We have been burnt and paid the price of throwing the children's routine out of whack. Getting to bed late does not mean that the kids will be sleeping in. Too often, they are awake at their regular hour of sometime between 5.30 - 6.30am, jumping up and down, ready to start their day. Tim and I, not quite.

Our cousin Patrick from Jakarta and his girlfriend Deborah are visiting Sydney this weekend. Since they are only staying for 5 days and are here for a wedding, their schedule is quite hectic. However, I was keen to see them and Tim was keen on meeting them. My brother organised our get together...for last night, a Friday night.

Since Chad had organised it to be somewhere quite close to us, we made an effort.

I made an effort to get out of work a bit earlier to catch the 4.45pm fast ferry. This gave me the chance to go with Tim to pick up the kids. When we got home, we quickly gave N & E a bath, packed the bags and got ourselves out of our home just after 6pm. Just as well N was cooperating so we were able to move quickly. Nothing like the promise of seeing his cousins as his bait to get a move on.

It was a lovely evening. We ended up at a different pub to where we originally intended to go as the other pub was jam-packed. I have completely forgotten what it was like to be out on a Friday night. The other pub was lovely though - a bit bigger so more space, not as hectic and a massive indoor playpark to boot.

N loved being out....Ate, a massive indoor playpark, pasta and meatballs...he was in heaven.
E, albeit very very tired, did not want to miss out. E kept awake the whole time we were at the pub despite it being way past her bedtime.

We stayed until almost 9pm. We knew we did not want to push our luck with the kids...besides Tim and I were quickly losing steam too.

On our drive home, both kids were still on a high. N was chatting non stop. Talking about the pub, the playpark, Ate, meatballs...Everything. All of a sudden, N started ooooohing and aaaaaaahing about the street lights. He started loudly observing the yellow lights on the lamp posts and was tickled pink at how many they were. We went through a dark freeway and N decided that we were going through a tunnel.

Very quickly Tim and I realised the novelty of being out a night for N. He was a complete novice with going home in the evening because he has never experienced it at an age where he can appreciate it (and that he is awake and have not fallen asleep during the ride). We quickly realised the effect of not taking them out! Who would have thought?

E with Patrick and Deborah