Date Number One: Tally Ho!

You may remember that my Mother's Day gift from Kev and Daphne this year was "Six Dates." Most of them are really intended for just Kevin and me, but yesterday we went on the first one, and it included the Peanut.

When she and her daddy returned from the moon, we set off toward downtown. First stop: the Coffee Bean, which is a little coffee shop that is sadly closing in a week or two. We went in to buy some - you guessed it - coffee beans, because theirs are really good and we haven't been having much luck with the beans from Wegman's. While Kev was inside buying the coffee, Daphne and I sat in their little courtyard, and found ourselves surrounded by heart-shaped nature:

Next, we headed to lunch at the newest downtown business, Windy City Red Hots, which is a hot dog place located in the same spot as the OLD hot dog place (Lesher's) that recently closed. The new place is slightly better in that there are more than four menu items, AND they have french fries. The only thing I didn't like was that they insinuate on their menu that people who put ketchup on their hot dogs are somehow inferior beings. There's no need for food snobbery. It's a HOT DOG place, for crying out loud. But anyway, my hot dog (with ketchup!) was tasty, as were the fries. So we'll go back. It's a good kid-friendly summertime lunch place.

Daphne had ketchup on hers, too. And remarkably didn't get a drop of it on her clothes! And I am a big fan of the poppy seed bun.

Finally, we reached our destination for the main event: Shrek (the newest one) at the Tally Ho.
This movie was surprisingly good. I didn't think the 2nd or 3rd ones were funny at all, but I laughed out loud at this one several times. Daphne had a good time (there was popcorn), but the premise was way over her head, so there were lots of questions during and after the movie. It's not really for kids her age.

Here we are, outside the theater after the show. The sun was in Daphne's eyes and she was pretty tired, so it wasn't the best moment for a family picture. Oh well.

So, yesterday was a really great day, and Daphne was really good. Too good, in fact. Because today, as if she was making up for lost time, she let fly with the kind of behavior that made me briefly question my decision not to be a "Parent Who Spanks." Kev and I somehow mananged to keep our cool and get through the day, and it was all smiles at bedtime. We shall see what tomorrow brings. One never knows these days.

Speaking of bedtime, Daphne is spending her first night in a Big Girl Bed tonight. Her crib converted to a toddler bed, which she has been in for a while. Today, we decided to take advantage of Memorial Day sales so we got her a mattress and box spring, and Kev assembled the final conversion into a full size bed. I stayed in it with her until she fell asleep. Then I cried because she isn't a baby anymore. Then I put a bunch of pillows all around to (hopefully) keep her from falling out, or at least soften the landing if she does.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, and we are going out to do a little birthday shopping while my parents watch Daphne. It will be a nice change of pace for everyone involved. Then we start a BIG week. The countdown to 4 is on...