The other night was Mom’s Night Out. It’s an annual event set up by our elementary school, where the moms are invited to go out for an evening to drink wine, shop with vendors brought in to sell things like apparel, jewelry and bags, and of course, eat. It’s a lovely night where I typically walk away buying stuff I don’t need and eating stuff I don’t want.
But this Mom’s Night Out, they’ve shaken things up a bit by announcing that there would be no shopping. This year, there would be dancing. Dancing? Oh! My young brain cries. The last time you went dancing was at someone’s wedding, who knows when. It’s been at least five years, back when one shoulder dresses were trendy. Inside, I’m excited, but what comes out of my mouth is, “Wow, I hope it won’t be too loud.”
Gahhh!! Who is this old person pretending to be me? Before I can stop myself, I go even further, “I don’t even know if want to go. I’m tired.”
When did I become so boring? And worse, someone who’s boring and barely cares. It’s my apathy at my disinterest that has me all hot and bothered. I guess, I’m happy that at least something still does (Besides my very sexy husband, of course. Wink wink, sexy husband).
I’m not alone. Not to drag anyone under the bus, but instead of rallying my negativity into positivity, my friends all jumped on my wagon, voicing their own lackluster interest. I can’t blame us really. We’re tired. We’re lazy. We do the mom thing, wiping, cleaning, schlepping, negotiating. Some of us have jobs in the adult world as well. So while going out at night is a pleasure, sometimes the overwhelming days make it almost too much of an effort.
Is this middle age? I am in my 40’s now, along with most of my friends. So technically, I guess it is. But isn’t 40 the new 30? I’m still coming to terms with the fact that I’m married and have children. I can’t even begin to process that my child bearing years are actually over. What is happening here?
Maybe it’s because I still think of myself as young, but if I’m honest, when I see someone in their 20’s, I know by the way they dress and act and go out till all hours, that I am not young. That I don’t even want to be. They can have their night clubs and stilettos. I’ve got Mom’s Night Out! So off I go in my sensible, flat boots.
The turn-out was slim. Apparently, there are more beaten-down moms than me, who couldn’t even gather the energy to go. My friend and I were the first to arrive. Yep, the first. Back in the day, this would be embarrassing. Now we glory in getting out of our houses as quickly as possible. Also, if I don’t get out early, the odds of me going steadily diminish. It’s like every minute I don’t get out of the house is another reason to put on sweat pants and watch the Real Housewives.
The music was loud, but I found myself moving a little to keep warm in the cool, empty room. We sat down, sipping our wine as friends filtered in. We ate and chat, but not a mom stepped up to dance. I’d like to say I was leading the pack to the center of the floor, but I barely moved my butt from the cushy couch. I had a plate of food, friends and a magnum of wine. I was happy – head in the clouds, smile on the face, soft buzz of energy – happy.
At around 10pm, my friend and I exchanged ‘the glance’. It was time to go. I got home at the perfect time. My kids were nestled all tight in their beds; the picture of innocence and all things beautiful. And I was snuggling in mine with my sexy husband by the 11 o’clock news. Call me a loser, but I couldn’t ask for a better night.
Hot mamas in sensible shoes
Icescreammama 
haha!!! Love this!! This is exactly how I am! Nights here are definitely for decompressing and watching TV!
i know! it’s really a push to get myself to go out these days! maybe next year! haha!
Thats great! Happy you had a good time!
thanks! 🙂
Haha! Apparently moms pertain to the same race…..
They behave the same way , the code is the same for everyone and they speak the same language ……
except for the mom’s the next town over, they wear more designer bags, bigger heels and are about 10lbs thinner. 😉
How can you explain that?
i don’t know… i don’t speak their language. 😉
😀
You’re only as old as the person you… no I’ll leave that one.
If you didn’t know how old you were, how old would you be!
I hear ya!! I agree – leaving the house as quickly as possible is the goal – who cares if you’re early!
true! get out while you can!
Adorbs. Abs I. Would be pissed if someone swapped dancing and shopping.
i’m so old.
Love! I would have had same reactions all the way around. Last time I did Mom’s Night Out our heat went out at home and I had a perfect excuse to leave early. Probably can’t use that one again. Right?
haha! there’s always some creative excusing to do. it really takes so much to get me out for those things, but somehow i’m always up for dinner and wine.
I’m not married with kids, but other than that, I’m the same! Tired and lazy and do not care. I go out more than married women, of course, but I am also just as content to stay home in my sweats 🙂
Good that you went, though, and had fun 🙂
it’s so easy and enjoyable to be lazy. i guess a happy medium is always best. maybe if i could go next time in my sweats…
It’s not being boring, it’s exhaustion, don’t you think? My youngest is now 3.5, and the last couple of months are the first time in… a decade? … that I can contemplate not passing out from sheer exhaustion in bed about 10 minutes after I put the kids to sleep. xoxo “I don’t like Mondays-hopping” Jane @nothingbtbook
i hope so!! my youngest is now 5, so i feel like i have no excuse! although, i’m happy to go out for low key dinner with the gals. that i look forward to. thanks for checking in! nice to meetcha! 🙂
I think you’re a winner! You got yourself out of the house and you had a good time, so in the words of Charlie Sheen, “Winning!” You described my quandary under the same circumstances to a “T”. Recently, I had planned to go see the Golden Palominos with some friends and on the day of the show, I woke up with a headache, it was raining and I was exhausted. Thinking about the schlep into the city, all I could think about was how tired I was and I just couldn’t do it. Reluctantly, I canceled. My friend later told me that everyone else had canceled as well. They didn’t want to deal with taking the subway in from Brooklyn. Isn’t it funny? We would’ve been up all night 20 years ago. But most nights, I’m with you on the sweatpants and Real Housewives. The other night, instead of going to a bar to hear a friend’s husband’s band play, I opted for PJs and HGTV. Who AM I? 😉
please. at least you know who the golden palominos are!! ijust looked them up. we’re close to the city as well and almost never go out there. we always stay close to home. so much of schlep.
i’m a little happy that all your friends canceled. we’re all in the same boat. and despite the schlumpy, i mean comfy, wardrobe, it’s really not too shabby. 🙂
Well you certainly don’t look middle-aged–all the women in your photo look absolutely fabulous! I hear you on the ‘going out dancing’ thing though. It seems like it’s always a monumental effort to get out of the house and be energetic at night.
it is!! i don’t know why but when it’s just going to dinner, i’m running. (im the off the shoulder chick. and i am middle aged, although life expectancy has risen…. 😉
Tonight’s schedule involves three separate trips out and back to pick up or drop off one child or another to one activity or another. This is not unusual. A Mom’s night out sounds great, but it’s one more thing in a very busy schedule. It has to be a pretty compelling event to get me up off the couch some nights!
so true!! i don’t have as hard a time just meeting friends locally for a little wine and dinner. that i love!
Well, if there’s wine involved…. 🙂
i don’t go, unless there’s wine or ice cream
Yep, the definition of “fun” definitely drastically changes with age!! That doesn’t make it less fun, though! 🙂
you said it!! 🙂