Giveaway winners! Plus, Max has his first Saturday night date

Three of you are about to adopt some caterpillars! The winners of the Butterfly Garden (chosen via random.org) are: Sarah, mom to Violet; Kate Ahern, a special ed teacher; and Meredith Templin, mom to J.T. and Finley. Please send your e-mail addresses to LoveThatMax@gmail.com so the Butterfly Garden woman can get in touch for your addresses. Have fun, follow the instructions and please, I beg you, don't let the caterpillars drink and drive.

Saturday, Dave went out night fishing and I had a dinner date with the kids. I used to be freaked about taking the kids out by myself—to restaurants, to stores, to anywhere. I just wasn't secure about being able to handle Max. I needed Dave around.

Before I had kids, I was a pretty independent person. I traveled through Europe alone, went to movies and museums alone and was never one of those girls who always needed a boyfriend. I enjoyed my own company. Suddenly having a kid who was so very dependent on me was unnerving; it took a lot of getting used to.

Saturday night, we had a blast. We went to our favorite family restaurant. Max had his usual, meatloaf and mashed potatoes with extra butter; Sabrina had grilled cheese, fries and extra pickles. And then she had to eat my pickle, too. Do you think it's wrong to argue with your four-year-old over who gets to eat the pickle? I really wanted that pickle. Happily, our pickle stand-off didn't embarrass Max, who was too busy flirting with the waitress to notice.


Sabrina colored a lot, when she wasn't arguing with me over pickles.

The highlight of the evening was when we left and saw a tow truck in the parking lot with an SUV on its flatbed. Max's eyes almost fell out of his head; it seemed to be the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen in his entire existence. We had to stand there and watch till it drove away. The rest of the evening he kept telling me, approximately every three minutes, that he wanted to put our car on a truck.

Getting our car towed would have been a way too expensive date, so I had to say no. I am going to take him to the library to pick up books about tow trucks, though.

Then we came home, watched an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in bed and, before I could read the kids a book, they were sound asleep.

My kids are pretty great company these days. I hope they thought I was a fun date.