Natalie & Ryan: Melting Pot

Today was full of new experiences. Well, not "full," but any new experience is better than none. Ryan's boss/best friend took us and a few of Ryan's coworkers and their spouses out to dinner at the Melting Pot. The guy's parents are owners, so everything was free. Ryan's been raving about this place since I met him, but the $50 a person price was keeping us from going. We dropped Lilly off with her new babysitter (Ryan's ex-coworker and her 10 year old. They LOVE having Lilly). I have to admit, by this point, I was crashing. I was so tired. And I was cold, which makes me even more tired. It was one of those days where I was just chilled to the bone and couldn't warm up.

Dinner was a very different experience. It started with cheese fondue. We enjoyed dipping veggies and pieces of bread into the bacon Bree concoction. Next was a salad course. Ryan and I chose the Caesar. Then was the entree. We pigged out on steak, BBQ pork, chicken, dumplings, shrimp, and lobster. Personally, I think $100 for Ryan and I to share a plate of meat, we should have gotten a bit more. But we did enjoy what we got. Dessert was my favorite course. They brought each of us a plate of treats: cheesecake, brownie bites, rice krispie bites, strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows. We chose the s'mores chocolate fondue. It was semi-sweet chocolate with marshmallow and graham cracker crumbles. I could have licked that thing clean. A good meal, endless Diet Coke, and not having to pay, you really can't go wrong.

Once home, I raced inside to get to my bed. I was still freezing, so I decided to finally pull out the wedding quilt that Ryan's mom made us, and put it on the bed. It kept me toasty warm all night. I got up with Lilly at 6, put her back to bed, and then woke up to a very confusing situation. I woke up at 8, and since it was quiet, I just assumed that Ryan was going into work late, so that I could sleep. In my mind, he was in the computer room with Lilly. He's done it before. 8:30 came rolling around, and I started to feel guilty for sleeping in and keeping him from work. So I got up and went to the computer room to relieve Ryan of his duty. He wasn't there. I panicked. I ran to Lilly's room and rushed in, only to find her still in her crib. Ha! You got me, Lilly! If only she'd sleep that late every day!