A few weeks ago, on the heels of Marty's first overnight in the camper, I lined up a babysitter and went into Minneapolis for a night out with the girls.  Originally planned as a double date, Meghan and I were stood up (sort of, and for good reasons, and we didn't actually mind) by our husbands so we lined up a few ladies instead.  We met at Ike's for drinks and appetizers:

Meghan, Jennie, Molly, Becca

After dinner (round one at Ike's, round two at Sawatdee), we walked to the Fine Line to see a band we used to frequent in our youth.  Feeling a bit old as we talked about our families, checking in on kids, thinking about what time the babysitter would need to go home, we felt the old groove again as we listened to 3 Minute Hero's reunion show.  They were just as fun to watch and as good to hear as in the old days.

Jennie & Meghan, resuming the pose we perfected back when we used to do this on the stoop of 32-Fiddy.  Except that I didn't slip and fall at any point during the night, which frankly is an improvement.

So, even though we gasped in horror when we saw that the band wasn't going to go on until 11PM, and despite our belief that the streets of downtown Minneapolis looked like busloads of Spring Breakers had just been let off, we made it through the night and had a great time.  It was so fun to catch up with the girls, spend a night out, and for just a few hours, know that the only thing anyone might need from me was for me to hold their drink while they want to the bathroom.

And like any night out with the girls, there's always a moment of revelation.  For me, it was this - Meghan told me about how much she thought the parenting style of people our age had changed since our parent's were our age.  We spend countless moments each day telling our kids all of the reasons they shouldn't do things, explaining to the point of exhaustion the meaning behind each directive.  So, with this in mind, I've instituted a new parenting policy around here.  I'll explain my thoughts once, then it's promptly followed up with the old stand-by, "Because I said so."  And just like when we were kids, it works like a charm.  For the most part.