So, this is what I am going to call “Confessions Week” here on Mommy, Ever After.

I am about to admit yet another secret of sorts, about which I am simultaneously proud and also a bit sheepish.

Earlier this week I admitted that my son is a maniac. And you seemed to get it. That felt good.

So, confessions time:

I didn’t know that people peed in the shower in college until it was too late (I mean…)

When my sister graduated from college I wrote her a speech in the form of a poem and the first stanza included the word “monumentous”. That is not a word.

And, finally,

tonight, I took both of my children out to dinner, by myself, for the very first time.

My son is 20 m0nths old.

Today, at 4:15 PM, my kids and I went to Ruby’s diner for grilled cheese and French fries and ice cream and here I am, still standing, as I lived to tell the tale.

Was it perfectly easy? No. But was it awesome in it’s own way? Yes.

My son figured out how to undo all of the child-proof things that kids aren’t supposed to be able to undo.

I helped my daughter to steal bites of her brother’s ice cream.

But the best moment happened when, midway through the meal, a time when the baby happened to be both settled and eating, my daughter announced that she had to go to the bathroom.

What do I do? I have never done this before.

My initial instinct was to tell my daughter to go to the bathroom herself, as I could keep an eye on her without having to disrupt the other volatile child. She was nervous. She slid out of her booth and came up to me and said, “I think that this makes you a terrible mom.”

Reality check.

So, what did I do?

I let the very kind group of hostesses and waiters watch my content son for 2 minutes while I escorted my daughter to the bathroom.

Again, I don’t know if this was the right thing to do. I left a child. But I left him in hands that I thought were trusted and capable.

(I really hope that I am not a terrible mom).

The best part of the night was when we finished eating and took a nice walk around the courtyard of the outdoor shopping plaza.

My kids ran around together, squealing with laughter, playing. My son fell twice, hard, and skinned his knees. He didn’t make a peep. They held hands and they danced. It was a joy.

Here is where the gold medal mama status really comes in:

After dinner, I brought my kids with me for a quick and overdue visit to Melissa at Shade Sunless for a spray tan.

Shade is a really beautiful place with white, fuzzy decor and funky lamps. I was absolutely terrified that my son would destroy the studio and therefore my relationship with my girl Melissa.

But no, she was amazing. And he was OK. My daughter was happily occupied with chalk, my son ran around, did some naughty things, ate lollipops, tried to break out the door and disassembled a few fixtures BUT, I got my tan!

Before today I didn’t think I could take my two kids to a meal, let alone to a spray tan.
And I did. And that is a milestone.

And then we got home and I put them both to bed and I slid into my rhythm as a comfortable mom. It felt good.

In other big news of the day, today my amazing little sister left her job as a journalist for a huge news and television organization and will be starting an incredible new position as a writer for a “magazine of popular culture, fashion and current affairs, published by Conde Nast.” (Thank you very much, Wikipedia).

I am so proud of her and how far she has come. Today, my sister had a huge milestone. She has worked at her job, a job for which she has gained great respect and won awards, since graduating from journalism school. But she’s taking a leap and I think it is a fantastic one.

So, today, my sister moved up a rung on the media ladder. She is working for a company that is referred to as an “empire”. She is amazing.

Today I took my kids to Ruby’s and with me for a spray tan.

It’s all relative.

And do you know what the funniest part is?

I bet you that tonight, despite our completely different lives, my sister and I will both end up on our respective couches, under blankets, watching Bravo. Our jobs are completely different, but we are not.

I hope that my children continue to make each other smile and laugh as they did today on our special date.

I will continue to support my sister through all of her ventures, and I hope that my children do the same, someday.

And I now know some very, very important things:

I can handle taking two kids out on my own, even when it is hard.

I can make myself a priority while still showing my kids a great time.

The Kelly Taylor tan is my fave.

And the next time I shower in a college dorm, I will damn well be wearing flip flops.