our weekend without Lauren :(

We met Jason's parents in Gadsden last night to let them take Lauren back to their house for the weekend. After we all grabbed supper at Cracker Barrel, we said our goodbyes. Lauren didn't shed one tear! She happily got in the car with Granna and Pop-Pop and was so excited to read her new book and play with the new toy that the gparents had bought for her. That little traitor.... :)

I think Jason and I held it together pretty well, considering it was the first time that she had ever been away from us overnight. Jason has had to go on a few trips for work for a night or 2 since Lauren was born, but I have NEVER been away from her for more than 3 hours!! (She was breastfed for the first year of her life- enough said)

So, needless to say, it was a little hard for me. Lauren is always at my side, (well, under my feet is more like it!) and it felt weird to not have her there. And when we went to sleep last night, it just seemed toooooo quiet without hearing her Praise Baby CD on the monitor.

We did act a little like a young, childless couple on the way home- and stopped in Chattanooga for ice cream at Marble Slab Creamery and then on to Barnes and Noble at 10:30pm!! Whoa! We were living dangerously!! :)

Today we slept in (well, 9:30 is late for us!) and then got ready and went to Knoxville to see a matinee of:

I KNOW that movies are never as good as the books, but this one was really disappointing to me. I can't really put my finger on what specifically I didn't like (other than I think they invented a whole scene and left out an important fight near the end!) but it just wasn't as good as I was expecting. It will be interesting to see what the next 2 are like. I think we should have seen:

After the movie, we drove around Knoxville and headed to the mall so I could exchange some pants for Lauren at Gymboree. Where I found these for next summer:

Plus, a watermelon dress and barrette and a bathing suit. I have been LOVING this watermelon line, but refuse to pay full price for anything in Gymboree. (even their sale prices mostly suck...raise your hand if you think $17 is a good sale on a t-shirt!!) BUT, I shopped the CLEARANCE and also had my "20% off your entire purchase coupon", so I came out pretty well. And I was so excited that the bathing suit was only $7.99. It is bright green with a little monkey on it and I can't wait to see her in it next summer! :)

But, Holy moly. I forgot that it was tax free weekend!

Everyone and their mother and brother and sister and aunt and uncle were at West Town Mall!! Good grief! It was sooo crowded! I asked Jason to please wait for me outside the store and then when I came out, I couldn't find him! I called his cell, but apparently he still had it turned off from the movie. I was irritated. I didn't panic, but I just knew that I had to stay near Gymboree since that was the last place I saw him and (hopefully) he would look for me there.

45 MINUTES LATER... I finally got him on his cell and was (needless to say) not happy when he turned up. He SWORE (well, he promised, anyway) that he had been sitting on a bench the whole time over by "AberCRUMBie" (as he pronounced it! :)

So, I told him that I was never shopping at the mall with him again, and we left and went to Chili's for supper! :)

They have a great deal going now with a "2 for $20" promotion. We shared an appetizer of chips and queso and their "famous" (to us) salsa,

Jason got chicken fajita quesadillas and I got a Quesadilla Explosion salad (yummers!) We split a chocolate chip paradise pie for dessert.

I won't even begin to tell you how. freakin. good. it. was. (you're drooling already, aren't you?!)

All for $20! (plus our drinks) We were 2 very happy (and very full) people!!

Now we are back at home. Jason is watching tv and I am doing laundry, cleaning and (obviously) updating the blog! We are party animals, let me tell you!

We have enjoyed our weekend together, but we have missed our little girl! It has been way too quiet around here! We are excited to see her tomorrow and just hope that she wants to come home with us after all the fun (not to mention ice cream) she's had with the gparents!! :)

I'm off to go watch (another) movie with my hubby! We decided to rent:

Hopefully it will be funny! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!