Mr. Miller and I go out on a date together each week. It’s one of my favorite things we do together. Since Harlo’s birthday is coming up this week (tomorrow!), we had her accompany us on our weekly date night this week. She looked forward to it for day (and so did I). We left the littler girls with our usual babysitter and off we went.
Harlo picked the restaurant, but made us promise before-hand that we wouldn’t tell them it was her birthday. “When they sing to me, it makes me embarrassed.” she said. (I have been known to say the exact same thing.) We swore, and she chose Buffalo Wild Wings.
We let her choose WHATEVER she wanted on the menu. She chose a huckleberry lemonade, and mini corndogs, and some chips on the side. She played on the tablet for a bit, and then she asked me if I had ever cut my head open, which I said “yep, twice that I remember.” and she insisted on the details. Then she asked Brady about the time he broke his arm being pushed off a banana chair and we all had a good giggle. We asked her if she liked being the oldest in our family, and what it was like. She says she loves being the first born “Because I’m the boss mostly, and because I’m older than Stella. I love being older than Stella.” (Stella would have definitely scoffed at that if she’d have been there.) She asked us about being the youngest in our families and what it was like. She liked that my oldest sister was the one to help me after I had split my head open one time when my mom wasn’t home, and hoped she would be able to have those opportunities with her younger sibs. (Although I hope head-splitting is one thing she wont have to assist with!)
After that, we took a stroll through Target and then ended our date with candy cane shakes. She kept saying “Mom, do you guys always do this on date nights? I love dates!”
It was such a good night, with our precious first born. Seems like yesterday we were driving to the hospital in an unexpected snowstorm, anxious for her arrival. This precious girl was sent here to teach me so much. She has taught me how to be a mother, how to be gentle, and kind, and loving. She has taught me to be confident in myself and the decisions I make. She has taught me that it’s okay to be who I am. I am eternally grateful that she was up for the job. She changed my life for the better in every single way, and continues to bless me every single day. I am so grateful to have been able to spend that time with her last night. A new tradition I’ll look forward to each year.
