Karin and I found ourselves childless last night as the mother-in-law parachuted in to babysit. We opted to keep our season’s tickets for the theater this year despite the (at the time) looming time-sap of parenthood.

The first show was about a month and a half ago, just days after our early arrival, and weeks before either of us was quite willing to hand over the creature to any caregiver, regardless of capabilities. We gave the tickets away, and lamented in our new life.

Last night was the second show of the season, and we spent intermission eating over-priced ice cream and remarking at how odd it was to have this little glimpse of old life back, and how even after a short forty-some days it seemed so surreal and foreign.

Incidentally, we dressed Claire up for Halloween last week and (by happenstance of my work schedule) paraded her around Red Deer for an hour or so to visit the grandparents and a few others.

Also, Claire celebrated the forty-second day of her own existence with the news of a new little pal arriving in nearby Sherwood Park. Tiffany and Snickers, and their bread-winner Chris, welcomed Lola into being shortly after midnight. I gotta say, it looks like the guys games club is turning into a fathers with daughters club (sorry Matt, you can still come along).

Of course, after four and a half hours away from the kid, Karin was glad to get home and recount the nuances of the moments she’d missed. I went to bed.