I have just returned from a glorious evening at Boulevard Park with my husband. We ate barbequed salmon, chatted with friends, and watched the sun set into a vibrant pink swath across the bay. We did this at our leisure. Without the kid.
This, and other similarly adult experiences, have been made possible by the most genius of all arrangements: a friendly and equitable babysitting cooperative among a few of our parent-friends.
The simple and elegant agreement is as follows: three families agree to take turns sending a mom or dad over to babysit at someone else's house (which usually just means eating their ice cream and perusing magazines while their child sleeps) and the favor will be returned to you and your spouse so that you may enjoy perhaps one night each week out on the town together. Sanity restored.
So I had to sit right down and write a little ode to my dear friend who came over and watched over Archer tonight. I always look forward to returning the favor.