I'm HOT?

I can't believe this happened to me tonight and since it's kind of awkward to tell this story outloud, I had to rush to my laptop to write it here.

My sister and I were out to dinner tonight. My husband watched the boys at home- so great of him. I haven't been out with my sister in I don't know how long. Heck, I haven't been out to dinner without my kids in I don't know how long. Anyway... I wore a new outfit that has been sitting in my closet for months collecting dust waiting for the moment it might actually get worn out in public. Nothing fancy, just a green sweater and funky green plaid pants and a pair of matching green mules. Yes, I like to follow the trends and green is in right now. We're having a very nice dinner and chatting away about all kinds of things non-kid related, which was refreshing to say the least, when all of a sudden this man comes up to our table and says to me, "excuse me, but I know the owner of the restaurant and we were just talking over there and he said I shouldn't say this to you, but I just had to say it. You are HOT." I couldn't believe my ears.

I said, "me? really?" and he said it again, "yes, you are so HOT."

In embarrassment I started to laugh as I casually looked around for the hidden cameras as I was sure this was some sort of prank or something. Then in my laughter I realized he was serious and I replied, "wow! thank you so much. I'm a mom of 2 little boys and I just don't hear that at all. Well my husband tells me that (had to through the "my husband" line in there to make sure he didn't decided to pursue hitting on me) but I never hear it from anyone else. Thank you so much, you really made my week."

He said, "well they (pointing to his friends at the bar) told me not to say anything, but I just had to."

I said, "thanks again. You really don't know how much I needed to hear that." And off he went. That's all he said.

I'm not telling this story because I have an enflated ego or anything. It's just that when your a mom doing the mom thing day in and day out and you're exhausted because you haven't had a decent nights sleep in weeks or years, and you've wiped spit off from your sleeve for the hundreth time and taken the used kleenex's out of your pockets, you start to feel like just another mom in sweat pants, a pony tail and bags under her eyes. That since of self, looking at all attractive, that feeling that you could catch a man's eye if you wanted to, is just so foreign and far away. You're not a woman, you're a mom.

That stranger doesn't even know what he did for me tonight. It was a simple gesture and I believe he meant it and maybe he was hoping to hit on me, but he has no idea how his words affected me. For one moment I was reminded that I am a woman. And I don't know if I'm Hot, but I do clean up well. It was a good feeling to be reminded of who I was before sippy cups, diapers, temper tantrums and gold fish crackers.

Thank you kind stranger.

And now I hear Jack crying in his room. Back to being a mommy.