“I booked your mom this evening!”
“Um, for a date night?” I replied. “Eeeeekkkkk!!!!”
I was dressed with my hair in a bun, no makeup on, I was working on getting the laundry done, I had on an outfit that looked straight out of the 80’s and TIME WAS TICKING! I left the unfolded laundry on the couch and tip-toe skipped (it was nap time and if you are a momma, no further explanation is needed) my way upstairs to get ready. It is amazing how fast you can get ready when you have a date night lingering over your head, but when you are home with the kids, we say we have no time to ourselves to get ready. Just thirty minutes later I was ready to walk out the door and drop the girls off to my mom…JUST.LIKE.THAT!
My AWESOME “Date Night” look!
It is crazy to think that our last date night was well over 5 MONTHS AGO! How do we, as married couples with kids, allow ourselves to lose sight of something so important?!? Marriage takes work, dedication to stoking the fire to keep it burning, love and commitment to one another, your kids and most importantly commitment to continuing to build a solid relationship. We were well overdue and dinner out together was just what we needed (and what I needed because that meant I didn’t have to cook dinner…WOOTWOOT!).
There’s a big difference between going out for the evening and going out on a date. Date night is a night out with your sweetheart. It’s quick trip back to courtship, as opposed to an ordinary night out of the house.
I believe it is a state of mind more than an activity. It’s about the meaning you make of your time together, whatever you do. Whether simple or elaborate, eating a sandwich in the park, taking a walk on the beach, going out to the symphony, seeing a movie or just having coffee. Date night says, oh, right, we’re a “couple” when too often it can seem that you’re simply business partners or roommates or two people running day care…I know we have fallen into this category and I am sure we aren’t the only ones!
Date night is a chance to look across the table and see the person you married, the one you fell in love with, not the person who left the bed unmade or forgot to take out the trash.
Unless you’re going on a hike together or taking a yoga class, I suggest you dress up. This is a date, after all, a special occasion. Remember when you were first dating? The 80’s look was NOT the first choice you went for when getting ready for an evening out!
The BEST part…I LOVE that our girls see us place value on Mommy and Daddy time together! One day, when they are grown and married, my hope is that Annora and Delise place that same value on their marriage!
All dressed and ready for date night!
2 Comments
Kevin · June 18, 2016 at 11:16 am
I love this! Although I’m not currently in a relationship. I feel it is amazing advice. I feel this applies to married and unmarried couples Kama either way the end result is keeping the fire burning. Kudos to you and your husband 🙂
Chrissy · June 18, 2016 at 2:09 pm
Mary you are so right on here!! Rick made it a priority when our kids were growing up. Some people did look down on us for it but we knew it was important! Your girls will always know what a healthy relationship looks like because you and Ben model it so well!