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mara williams
on May 21 2013 - 06:00 AM
Summer break has this mom on a house upkeep war path.
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Lindsay Metcalf
on May 21 2013 - 06:00 AM
When that tornado siren sounds, I'm in the basement
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Mitch and I had a date this week! Don't be jealous.
Picture this: You and your partner walk into a restaurant that has patrons patiently waiting their turn for a table. You give the host your name, and he tells you it'll be twenty-five or thirty minutes. You don't even bat an eye, and you wait patiently and quietly with the others. When you're finally at your table, you peacefully peruse the menu and make your decision. The server comes and takes your order, and you order only for yourself. And you order a beer. A beer! And no one interrupts you. You make it through your meal with no spills, no tears, and no cracker crumbs under the table. You walk out of the restaurant happily and easily to your car, and enjoy a quiet drive home.
And then you wake up, because it was only a dream. It's such a lovely dream, isn't it? A dream of a child-free meal?
Because usually it goes like this: You walk into a restaurant that has patrons patiently waiting their turn for a table, and you cry a little inside. With a child on your hip and another holding your hand, you give the host your name, and he tells you it'll be twenty-five or thirty minutes. You have a brief huddle-type conference with your significant other, and decide it's easier than finding somewhere else to go. You decide to take the kids outside of the restaurant to play while you wait for your table. When you're finally there, there's no time to read the menu because you're too busy telling your oldest to stop kicking your chair and your youngest to stop throwing crackers on the floor. When the server comes, you order for two kids, make a last-minute decision for yourself, and ask for extra napkins for the impending spills to follow. At the end of your meal, you drag your children to the car for a cranky and tired drive home, and you wonder why you ever dared to leave the house with those animals.
Okay, I'm sorry. My children aren't animals. But dang, they get wacky sometimes!
Mitch and I don't go out to eat a lot. We have too many toddlers in our lives. Marc has mastered behaving in restaurants for the most part, but Charlotte is still learning about how other customers (and waitstaff, and kitchen staff, and management) aren't too fond of high-pitched screaming during their meals.
We'd like our dinner without the show, thankyouverymuch.
Don't worry, everyone! She'll learn! In the meantime, Mitch and I try to wrestle some dinner dates by ourselves every great once in a while, which really isn't that often to be honest. Valentine's Day came, and it just didn't work out for us.
Then, Mitch's father made us an offer! He wanted to spend some time with Charlotte on Saturday. This was a total score! We were going to get our belated Valentine's Day date and some time to ourselves. I think this was the second time in about six or so months that we've gotten to actually go out without the children. We're busy people, you know, with schedules out of sync with each other.
We waited patiently for our table for almost thirty minutes with no complaint. We sat and laughed and flirted like married people. We ordered our food without interruption. We shared sparkling conversation without interruption! No one threw crayons. No one kicked table legs. There were no cracker crumbs on the floor. Our tip reflected the server's service, without the added guilt charge of a buck or two that we leave when the kids are with us. It was a dream come true, to be out with my true love on a date with nothing to focus on but what a good time we were having with each other.
And then we were home by eight and in bed by eleven because we're old. But still! It was pretty awesome!
Do you ever get to have a date without your kids? I know of a couple who go out every two weeks or so. Lucky. We are definitely doing this more often. We love hanging out with our kids, but sometimes Mom and Dad need some time to themselves!
This mom gets a little more time to herself than she used to, thanks to the fact my kids are teens now. Good for the mental health! Glad you all had a nice date night.I love date night, although it maybe happens only twice a year! And we're usually too tired to follow up a meal with a movie. But, it is so nice to have a meal that doesn't get interrupted by having to cut up something for someone or to wait interminably for my daughter to finish her meal.Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I have always thought, though I love my children and would have and currently do do anything for them, that they were not the primary focus of our marriage. Hubby and I need alone, away from the house adult couple time. We worked hard to find the resources to do that--swapped baby sitting with friends, done the eat at home first so we had the $$ for a couple cocktails or dessert and coffee for us. Keep it up! :) The kids will benefit from the adult time you and your husband have alone.Oh the memories you stirred. Once with Dale we went to a chinese resturant with an all you can eat bar. Dale was about 18 months. He wanted to eat tons of jello, and left a huge mess. We really don't go out much and he never has been much of a problem when we do. This last December he turned 16 and wanted to go out to dinner instead of rounding up the old bunch to do pizza, ice cream cake and video games at our house. It was such a joy to see an almost grown up wanting to go out with his parents. You will be there before you know it.I wonder why we don't go out more? My DH and I said we were going to try and have a date night at least once a month and still have followed up on it. We really don't go out that much with Alex either. Not that he is bad, it's just easier I guess. Alex has always been well behaved in a restaurant but he ends up hanging all over you and lying down in the seat during the meal. I'm glad you had a nice time with your hubby. Everyone deserves some special time alone.
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