Of Shrimp, Shopping and Shakes

It may have been a day late, but I just got back from a wonderfully spontaneous fake-engagement-day celebration with my handsome hubby (I used to hate that word but somehow it's grown on me).  Said celebration included two rounds of Endless Shrimp at Red Lobster (using a $10 coupon - of course - I can't remember the last time we paid full price for a date) wherein I felt like one of those sickeningly cute couples that sits on the same side of the booth - only we didn't.  But we did share our endless shrimp so we could see what we liked best before ordering more rounds.  The consensus, after agreeing that all (except for the Coconut Shrimp - I just can't handle a seafood that tastes like a dessert - that's just wrong) were quite scrumptious, was that the new Parmesan Shrimp Scampi was, hands-down, the winner.  Yum.

After dinner we headed to Gap.  I had purchased a Groupon a couple of months ago which allowed me to pay $25 for a $50 voucher to Gap.  Score.  I've used it as my motivation to lose that baby weight.  I actually had two benchmarks for my weight and spending my Groupon was my reward for hitting the first one.  I've been saving it for just the right sale and today's 40% off everything in the store screamed "Just the Right Sale" to me.  Thus, new pair of jeans two sizes smaller than what I wore right after Emmett was born?  Check.

The best part of shopping, though, was having my husband right there with me.  Knowing we were in a time crunch (we got there 45 min before it closed), he willingly followed orders ("Can you grab that one in my size?"), allowed me to use him as a human clothing rack until we got to the fitting room and acted as my personal dressing room attendant, preparing piles of "Yes" and "No,"  neatly folded from my discards - also offering his own opinion, of course, which was more than the typical male response of "Eh."  He was, in essence, the best shopping partner.  I love him.

And we topped it all off with Double Chocolate Fudge milkshakes from Steak n' Shake on the way home (don't waste your time explaining to me that this won't help me stay in my new jeans for very long - just let me live in the bliss of the moment).

Sigh.

That's what I call a date.

PS All of the above would not have been possible without our wonderful last-minute baby-sitter - Philip's sister Dayla.  Her love for our kids and willingness to work for free (even though we really wish we could pay her) are what make us eternally grateful to have her close by (well, that and we kind of like hanging out with her, too).