Dinner and a Movie...

are the husbirds favorite things to do on a date.  They're not mine, but I love him and I'll do just about anything to spend some alone time with him,  so we go to dinner and a movie occasionally. Even with built in babysitters it feels like a small miracle when we make it out on a date.  Tonight was especially crazy since I had just gotten back from taking T to an eye appointment and I still needed to shower, make dinner for the kids (chicken quesadillas), and round up and say good bye to each of the kids friends when their parents came to pick them up.

     (Baby "G" wearing his sisters scarf, holding a sucker, and asking me to take pictures of him in all the glasses he was trying on while waiting for the eye doctor to see "T")

As I was blow drying my hair "D" asked me, "Why do you and Daddy still go on dates if you're already married?"  
I told him, "Because it helps us stay in love."
 
I let out a long sigh as I sat down in the car and it rolled down the driveway.  I smiled at the husbird, happy for pulling off what felt almost impossible, a date with my man.

We don't pay "A" to babysit.  I usually just bring her back some left over food from our dinner as a little thank you.  She loves it.  Tonight I brought the other kids some mini candy canes I bought after Christmas that I'd been hiding in the car.  I love when small things make them happy.  Maybe I'll make it a tradition to bring them all a little treat, because then they'll look forward to and encourage (stretching) the husbird and I going on dates.  I'll try anything to make it easier.

One of my favorite dates, if you want to know, would involve a low key dinner, possibly Cafe Rio, probably wandering the aisles of a book store or a trip to a lighting, plumbing, or flooring store to pick out items for the basement, and for sure a large dose of attention and affection from my man.  

Dating takes a major effort at this stage of life, but I love the closeness I feel with the husbird after a date.  I won't mention how I feel when we walk in the door from a date and it looks like a toy bomb exploded.  Ughhh.  Can you relate?