Saturday Night with A

I reveled in rocking out to Kings of Leon while drinking cheap beer on Friday night after a peaceful and kidless car ride to Indiana with Shauna. We had a blast being only 20 or so rows away from the awesomeness that is KOL and, especially, Caleb Followill. The cool, damp autumn breeze that drifted throughout the amphitheater packed with thousands only added to the fact that it was one of those moments where you glance around, totally aware, and think, I’m so glad I’m a part of this right now. We danced, we bought over-priced t-shirts and we swooned over the band. We were typical twenty-somethings.

But I had so much fun on Saturday night, too. I don’t think a mother could ever adequately explain the joy of partaking in simple nothings with their child. There is something about your child’s impossibly soft cheek grazing your own and their genuine fits of laughter and sparkling, innocent eyes giddy with excitement that mom is down on the floor playing…these moments cannot be replaced.

After a dinner playdate with the lovely DeYoung’s, we headed home, sans agenda.

This is what this 26-year-old does on Saturday nights:

We play Cootie.

We lay on the floor and take silly pictures of ourselves and giggle at our facial expressions.

I might possibly allow Aidan to yell, “To Infinity, and Beyond!” while catapulting his growing body off the side of the couch.

We dance to Free Fallin’.

Then we pull out the futon, fill the house with the aroma of popcorn for a snack and, while I am still the bigger of us two, I act as a pillow, letting Aidan meld his preschool body into mine.

I think that all mamas need their free time, their chance to explore what matters to them, those individual moments where you figure out what makes you tick and what encourages the most joy in life - whether it be art, music, sports or something else. I will continue to go on “Mommy Escapes” and come into my own as a person, separate from my role as a mother. Concerts and brewery trips and visits to friends in other states and running races will always be important to me.

But there really is nothing like a Saturday night in with my favorite kid in the world.