A Super Duper, Fan-Packed Weekend. Seriously.

My husband just said he thinks this is the best weekend we have had since we moved here last fall. I agree. The only thing that could have made it better would have been a "date night" for my husband and me. But we can't be greedy.

On Saturday we took the kids to the park for a romp on the playground and a picnic in the grass. There happened to be a walk-a-thon for autism going on at the park, so there were a lot more kids on the playground than usual. My favorite part of the playground experience was that there were autistic kids and "typical" kids, and for the most part, no one could tell who was who. With all the other kids on the playground, my kids learned a little about taking turns, too -- we don't get out much, so at first my son didn't get the concept of getting in line and waiting his turn for the slide, but by the time we left, he was much more confident.

I love this particular park. The play equipment is built into the landscape. There aren't ladders to the slides; the slides are built right into the hillside so you walk right up to them and sit down. That also means they're fully supported underneath so that fat mamas like me can slide down with their little ones without having to worry about weight restrictions. Yea! I had forgotten how much fun it was to slide! I admit to being a little disappointed when my daughter started sliding down by herself.

She is as much a daredevil as my son is cautious. He is the sort who will stand at the edge of the playground until we coax him first onto the sand, then up to the slide . . . where he sits and sits and then has to move over and let other kids slide and then he sits and sits some more until at last he gets the courage to go down, and then onto the swings . . . where he screams if he goes too high. My daughter, on the other hand, giggles like mad the higher she goes, and she loves the slides (although my husband and I nearly have a heart attack every time she flies down, her tiny body wobbling from side to side).

In the afternoon, we took the kids for ice cream. My son had never been to an ice cream parlor before, but I have to hand it to him: the kid knows how to order his food. He said he wanted strawberry ice cream (which he's never tried before, and which he didn't even know they had). My husband asked if he wanted anything mixed in with it, and I was just opening my mouth to list some examples for my son, when he shouted, "Oreos!" So strawberry ice cream it was, with Oreos mixed in.

The kids had their fun yesterday. Today, however, was my day. I did something I haven't done since before the kids were born: I went shopping by myself, for myself. I walked at a leisurely pace, didn't have to worry about strollers or sippy cups or getting finished before nap time. I wasted time looking at things I didn't need. I tried on lots and lots of clothes and bought a few things for the summer.

Have you ever noticed that in department stores, the plus size women's clothing is usually on a separate floor from the other clothing? I think it's funny. I pass by all these pretty skirts and trendy tops until I come to the escalator. "See ya!" I call to all the thin shoppers, "I'm heading up to the Fat Racks!" And there, at the top of the escalator, is a lovely muumuu made just for me. No, seriously, fat clothes have gotten a lot better. I found some stuff I actually liked, stuff that makes me feel young. Uh-oh, does that say more about the current state of plus size clothing, or my old lady taste?

Anyway, I came home refreshed and rejuvenated, and now I'm ready to face the world in something other than spit-up stained t-shirts and worn-out jeans. Um, except tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, I have nowhere to go. Hm.

But the weekend, I'm telling you, was great.