A Hurdle Jumped

Last week, Doodle and I attended a formal dinner, leaving Tigger with an unrelated babysitter for the first time. The anxiety I experienced during the day before the event was little less than consuming.

I wondered how to leave the house without scarring my little boy for life.

I worried that he would refuse to go to bed, not having had anyone aside from his parents ever put him to bed for the night.

I fretted that the dog's puppy-like behavior would demand more of the sitter's attention than my son's easy-going playfulness.

In fact, I half-hoped my husband would call from work and say he was super busy, and that we'd have to cancel.

In the end, of course, the evening went very smoothly. We said goodbye to Tigger, who shook his head "no" when asked if he'd like some goodbye kisses. After all, he was busy playing with a plasitc container he had pulled out of our recycling bin!

I texted our babysitter twice in the three hours we were gone, asking if everything was okay.
"Ya, everything's great," was the first response.
"Ya," came the second.

When we arrived home, Tigger was in bed, and the babysitter was sitting on the living room couch with the cat curled up next to her and the dog lying at her feet.

It was a hurdle for me. Not for my son.
Not even for my husband. Except that now he's excited that I'll agree to more frequent date nights in the near future--before the next little one is born!