Now that I’ve recovered from the trauma of what was supposed to be a relaxing, lovely Mother’s Day, let me tell you what I SHOULD have done to celebrate.
Every year since we’ve had kids, I make a point to ask my wife EXACTLY what she would like to do for Mother’s Day.
During the course of the year, we both do little things here and there for each other, whether it be the flowers that I buy her every week or the occasional Lego set (Hi, I’m 38 and have a Lego city in the basement) or magazine that she buys me and leaves on my desk.
But it’s nice to go the extra mile and pamper each other a little bit more on Mother’s (and Father’s) Day… and ANY kind of hint or suggestion goes a long way.
This year I wasn’t given any specifics, only that she would love to spend time with the kids and I.
No, she’s not crazy (at least we haven’t committed her yet), just a full-time working mom that enjoys the precious time she has with her family.
It’s difficult sometimes, to plan a special day for your spouse and then have everything go to hell in a hand-basket. I’m not sure exactly what that saying means, but I remember hearing it a lot while growing up in a family of three boys.
This past Mother’s Day was predicted to have beautiful weather, so I thought, instead of torturing myself by taking three kids under five out to a fancy restaurant for brunch, why not break out the 2-man tent, a nice big, soft blanket and fill a cooler with specialty items to make one of my epic snack trays?
The kids could frolic on the playground and Jen and I could just relish in the moment, relaxing, enjoying some small bites and smiling as the occasional breeze caressed our faces.
YEAH, RIGHT.
Until a gnat landed on my daughter and she lost her mind like aliens had come down from the sky and taken control of her body.
I’ve never heard anyone scream or cry like this. Let’s be honest, a tantrum needs to be pretty loud to clear out hundreds of people at a regional park.
I began to consider the fact that maybe we should’ve just stayed at home and enjoyed a ‘perfect day and night in’. Because, you know, home is where the heart is (and occasional yelling and screaming), right?
I tried to come up with a ‘top ten’ list, ‘Reasons We Should’ve Stayed Home on Mother’s Day’, but came up short. Evidently it was tougher than I thought to channel my inherent bitterness about things.
Aside from finding a parking spot, engaging in the ceremonial process of getting everyone out of the car and then approaching the greeting station at the restaurant, which is often times worse than waiting at the DMV. Oh, and it’s always wonderful submitting your homemade Mother’s Day card made from construction paper for public scrutiny.
So clearly, I had a tough time finding obvious reasons not to go out… er, wait, maybe I could’ve come up with ten?
That ‘Perfect Night In’ was starting to look really good…put the kids to bed, catch up on some of our shows and enjoy the comforting taste of one or two piping hot, aromatic Ristorante Pizzas.
You see what I did there? Truly though, sometimes there’s nothing better than comfort food.
My wife and I are self-proclaimed ‘foodies’ and have tried almost every Dr. Oetker’s Pizza and they’re insanely good.
I’m a huge fan of the old-school Mozzarella, with a combination of tomatoes, edam cheese (from the Netherlands, y’all) and mix of herbs. On the other hand, my wife is addicted to the Spinaci, with tons of savory spinach, sun-ripened tomatoes, mozzarella and a delicious garlic sauce. I’m still having a hard time understanding how two vegetarian pizzas can be so good, but I digress.
What about you? Do you sometimes think that it might just be a little easier to stay in and enjoy the comforts of some splendiferous, tasty cuisine?
Putting the recent and upcoming holidays aside for a second, how would you describe your #PerfectNightIn?
To learn more, check out Ristorante on Facebook or on their website, and if you want to bring some of these incredible pies home to surprise your spouse, use the store locator so you’re not driving around the neighborhood aimlessly.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Dr. Oetker USA LLC. I received compensation for this post; however, all opinions stated are my own.
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