Ladies Who Lunch.

 I remember every lunch-date my Mom and I had together. There were very, very few when I was little (four kids made this difficult), and just a few when I got older (owning a business made this difficult). My favorite lunch-dates were the unexpected ones; meeting in Sacramento to shop for dresses for my brother's wedding and lunching at a little gourmet pizza restaurant, running into each other in town and deciding on Clam Chowder, salad and macaroons at Courtyard Cafe and driving a half hour to sample a recommended creme brulee at Bidwell Street Bistro. There were never enough lunch-dates scheduled or spontaneously born, something I regret deeply. (All the sudden this regret seems silly in a way. Mothers and Daughters everywhere don't even think twice about lunching together, I know it meant a lot to me because I rarely had my Mom's attention to myself but other than that I never thought about looking into the future and wishing hopelessly we could meet up for a bite.)
One of my favorite outings with The Little Girls is "Ladies Who Lunch". Yesterday we were "Ladies Who Lunch at La Bou". They repeated/chanted this all day. I love everything about "Ladies Who Lunch". The ordering, finding the perfect spot, the first bites and the chatter throughout. I admit (and pat myself on the back just a little) that The Little Girls are amazingly behaved in restaurants, it is an absolute treat and this fact is not lost on them. Sometimes we get compliments from fellow diners on their way out, yesterday an older gentleman patted Savannah on the head and told both girls how much he and his wife enjoyed watching our interaction while they ate. I will remember each of these lunch-dates as I am sure my Mom did with fondness and warmth, they fill a hole in my heart and are a bright spot in my life.

 Oh and after we hit DSW for some "trying on". It doesn't get better than watching The Little Girls on the hunt for the perfect "clocking noise" (the sound of heels on hard floor). These were the clock-i-est.