Mama's Night Out

I am a FIRM believer that a happy Mama makes happy kids.  There is no way I can be responsible for & nice to my kids when I'm stressed or grumpy due to lack of food, sleep or most importantly "Mama Time".  On most days, at most hours if you asked me what I want to be doing, I could truthfully answer that I want to be with my girls.  I love being a Mama and taking care of the family and doing things that make the girls happy.  As cheesy at it may sound, I enjoy hanging out at the park, being at disneyland, taking my girls to their various afterschool classes and yes (gasp!) even being forced to watch Justin Bieber's Never Say Never for the 25th time.  My family is honestly fun to be around and are genuinely my favorite people on earth.  BUT! Mama needs some Mama Time.  Some "nobody screaming or crying or fighting or whining or needing help or guidance or punishment" time.  Being glued to my kids 24/7 does not make me a better Mama, because I can't be a good Mama without being a good person first.
My favorite kind of Mama Time is when I get to go out with my girls.  Not my baby girls but my grown up girl-friends.  I happen to be blessed with some of the most amazing, inspirational, powerful, beautiful and hilarious girl-friends, most of who I have grown up with and known since we were in middle/high school.  With all the weight & responsibilities of being Mama there are times when Mama just needs a smoke, a drink and some serious shit talking!  It's just a little break, usually taken when the girls are asleep and always when they are being cared for by their Papa or Amas (grandma's) and woo-wee they sure do help me keep my mind right!  These nights help me to stay in touch with the parts of my identity that are not connected to my kids (yes there are some left) and remind me that I am an actual person not just a Mama.  It is a time where I can wear the cute clothes & shoes that are too dangerous or inappropriate to wear during my daily Mama duties, eat food I shouldn't be eating, say things I shouldn't be saying and basically enjoy not having little eyes observing, absorbing & learning from my every move.  We can't be perfect all of the time right???

In the spirit of what I like to call getting my "Grown & Sexy" on, the other night I got to go to the John Legend & Sade concert in San Jose with my BFFs Mia and Bernie.  The SADE, yes her, along with The John Legend, my favorite love-songer ever!

Thanks to my amazingly talented BFFs I got to get my nails done (http://superflynails.blogspot.com/), get all dressed up in a new outfit (http://www.yelp.com/biz/dun-up-boutique-san-francisco) and even get my make up done!

As if looking good while hanging out with my 2 favorite girls above the age of 25 wasn't enough, we got amazing seats to see 2 of the most awe-inspiring musicians of my generation sing to us all night.  John Legend was a dream come true.  He rocked out to all his best songs (including our wedding "first dance" song: Slow Dance) and did his job of reminding me why I am so in love with my hubby.

And then came Sade.  Homegirl Put-It-Down!  She came out to that knock-you-on-your-butt beat of Soldier of Love and basically was a "Gangsta of Love" for the rest of the night.  She did her job of reminding me why I am so in love with everything in the entire world.

It was a night for the history books, one that will be talked about and pictures looked when we are old ladies in our wheelchairs.  It was worth every penny (and there were definitely lots of pennies involved in a night like this) and every lost hour of sleep (Mama is hurting today since there in no calling in sick from Justice, Chuli & especially Rio) because it will keep me smiling through the next week or two as I clean, cook, break up fights and try to make a dollar out of 15 cents.  And one day I hope to be able to take Justice, Chuli & Rio to see John Legend & Sade live and have them fully appreciate the power and love of the experience 

It was an amazing time for sure but Justice hit it on the nail the next morning when she said "I'm glad our real mama is back, instead of that fancy lady".  Truthfully Justice, I'm glad she's back too...at least until the next time my sanity needs saving and I put back on my disguise of red lipstick and heels and escape back into the night...