Sitting up high on the top shelf of our pantry is a bottle of wine.
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It sits in between the sherry and brandy I use for cooking and the boxes of chocolate. Gifts that have been given to us, which morsel at a time become sanity savers after a long day.
As it gathers dust, it taunts us.
It was bought on the 24th of January. Our 14th Wedding Anniversary. It is the only night that Alex and I have been out together since the triplets were born. We enjoyed our meal immensely, and the wine that accompanied it. We enjoyed being able to eat our meal at the same time. We enjoyed that there was no crying while we ate. We didn’t need to threaten small bodies to eat up their dinner, and we weren’t interrupted by babies that we needed to hold while we ate. It was such a treat to use two hands and use both fork and knife while we ate.
It had been set menu with wine included. At the end of the meal, while we were paying, Alex commented that we had really enjoyed the red wine. We discovered that there was a cellar door at the restaurant and that we were able to purchase the wine. To my amazement, The Accountant succumbed and in a total impulse buy, bought the most expensive bottle of wine that we have ever paid for. (It’s amazing how a good night out without children can mellow the tightest of purse strings.)
Once we were in the car, I asked on what occasion should we drink the delectable wine. Alex declared that the wine was to be drunk after the triplets slept through five consecutive nights.
And so it still sits on our shelf.
A month after the anniversary, in February, the triplets all slept through. Our tongues were salivating as we glanced up at the bottle of wine. A glance was all we had. They didn’t all sleep through the night again until Wednesday night, (August 1).
Alas, last night they were up to mischief again. Even the cot of isolation didn’t work. (We have recently moved the port-a-cot into the playroom at the other end of the house for midnight/early morning misbehaving babies.)
Alex recently revised the conditions. He is a wise man. And a lover of red wine. If the triplets are not sleeping through by our 15th anniversary. We shall drink the wine in commiseration and buy a new bottle in faith that it will happen eventually. (Like before they leave home.)
Have you any ‘carrots’ – food or drink – alcoholic or otherwise that you have ever rewarded yourself with?
5 Comments
I love the idea! and I’m glad you will have the wine on 24.01.13 no matter what happens, it would be crushing to suffer a few lots of four nights in a row, only to be denied. I love the Cot of Isolation too – I’ve come to learn that sometimes there is no othe option (if you’re a sane, reasonable human and you want to stay that way.)
I myself have far too much chocolate, marmalade, and now that I’ve given birth, I have the odd glass of wine after feeding. But I don’t have them in the small portions that would denote a “treat.” One day I will, but not yet.
Would it make you sad it I told you Sophie didn’t sleep through 2 nights in a row until she was 5?? (it still makes me sad). Thank goodness The accountant has the good sense to re assess the situation!! It will happen……. one day!!
I have special Decaf Coffee Latte sachets that I use every week when I’ve finished teaching my RI lessons, and the classroom hasn’t caught on fire or something.
A cot in the spare room is fancy – my babies were isolated to a pram in the garage… doesn’t that sound terrible?
I/we are constantly rewarding ourselves with chocolate hidden at the back of the pantry. Currently its Lindt 🙂
I think it’s time for another baby sitting stint so you can have another childless meal together!