A little while ago I reviewed my year list (in my sidebar), so I could think on a few things, make some plans for other things, budget for this or that, and my eyes rested on the item that said "buy a pretty dress and wear it out on the town, with my husband on my arm."
I instantly thought, well, I'll have to wait to meet my goal weight for that one, and I carried on.
Which was pure insanity. And I told myself as much later that same day.
I can buy a pretty dress and have a fancy date night with my husband no matter how much I weigh. Retail stores and restaurants everywhere actually allow this kind of thing, if you can believe that.
I bought a dress. I paired it with some funky shoes. I made some reservations that coincided with DFW's Restaurant Week (and therefore broke our "no eating out" August rule for this one special occasion). I found a babysitter (thanks, mom!). We ate. We drank. We stayed up late into the night watching season four of Dexter. We had a baby-free, delicious meal where we talked about vacations, money, a second baby?, home improvements, work, wine, weight, everything under the sun.
We even had dessert.
I've learned so much this year that I want to write a book about it all. But one thing I've learned that I'll share with you today is this: have fun now.
Waiting to have fun until you fill in your own particular blank is downright stupid. And this is coming from a woman who has spent many, many years making many, many stupid choices.
In fact, one such stupid decision was saying "oh hell, why not?" when the waiter asked if I'd like to opt for the wine pairing with my meal. My three-course meal.
(The buzz was just wearing off as I watched the final minutes of Dexter's season four finale. Or maybe it wore off because of those final moments. Lord, I never thought I could sob so much at a television cliffhanger I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT.)
I had a really wonderful night with my husband despite crying at the end of it. (Next time: Modern Family marathon!) It wasn't perfect (see: crying), nor are we, and I still look at the above photo and wish I had dropped those extra 18 pounds because stupid thoughts still creep into my stupid head no matter how I wish they wouldn't.
The point of this year isn't to be perfect or to even strive to be perfect, no, it's to strive to be better.
And to embrace life every moment along the way to better.
Rare family photo! With my chin cut off! (You take what you can get with a hard-to-wrangle toddler.) (And shit if he doesn't need another hair cut just a month after his first/last.)