Buca, Baby!

This past weekend, after what seemed like an eternity, my husband and I finally went on a date. Though they're rare, they are possible! My dear friend, Wendy, came over to watch the kids and off we went. We promised ourselves, and each other, we wouldn't spend the evening talking about our kids. This was our time, this was our date, and we knew time was limited. I left specific instructions, I wasn't worried, everyone was prepared. The thought of spending the evening without a child spilling a drink, asking for a bite, touching something on my plate or having to use the bathroom at least once in the middle of dinner was almost overwhelming! I could hardly contain my excitement in the car ride there.

We went to a fabulous dinner at Buca di Beppo, Italian food always seems to hit the spot when you can't agree on a restaurant! We ordered way too much food, and laughed all throughout dinner. We even splurged on drinks and dessert, which is quite unusual for us. We didn't have to measure everything, account for every last morself of food, or plan that far ahead. We took our time and really enjoyed ourselves. It was an amazing time, almost too good to be true. Then he said it. Laila. Diabetes. Insulin. Carbs.

Damn.

We chuckled to ourselves about bringing the kids and letting them have a free-for-all. If you've never been to Buca, it's a family style menu-you order a big bowl of pasta and pass it around the table. Our family loves pasta, so this place is ideal, though we've never taken the kids. The reason behind not sharing this place? The carbohydrates. A typical bowl of pasta is easily 3 units of insulin for Laila, to bring her here we'd have to pump her full of insulin to cover everything she'd be eating, and sometimes, it's not quite as fun as it sounds.

Playing the guessing game is a scary thing when you're dealing with your child. How do you know if you've given them too much, or not enough? You wait. And it's terrifying. You watch the numbers on the meter count backwards from 5 to 1 and hold your breath as the number pops up on the screen. You sigh with relief if it's good, managable even, and cringe if it's out of whack. Whether you deserve a pat on the back for your lucky guess, or a scolding for your wrong answer, it's not a game I choose to participate in often. Diabetes is a way of life, it's a daily learning experience for every one of us. I just wish we weren't learning at Laila's expense.

So, for now, Buca is our little secret. We all need a place to run away to, to forget the struggles of our daily lives, and to be at peace with ourselves, inside and out-right? For now, this will be ours. Thanks, Buca, I knew I could count on you, and not your carbs.