;)
Monday
Dec172007
He Knows How to Treat a Lady
Monday, December 17, 2007 at 3:55PM
I went on a date with a very cute boy yesterday.
Once upon a time, when we lived in Denver and the kids' gramma did, too, she would take them on Saturday nights. Sometimes, though, she would just take one of them. Those were the days before 3of3, and the odd-boy-out and I would go on a date. A FANCY date. A not-McDonalds date. Since those days, gramma has moved to South Africa and we moved to Canada, back to Denver, and back to Canada again. Oh, and I went and had another baby. I totally screwed up date night for my boys.
2of3 is taking it the hardest. He lost his place as the baby and he lost his place as the IT boy at school. He doesn't know where he his in his life right now, and we are all paying for it.
Yesterday, dad was actually home for once and 1of3 had a birthday party to attend, so we dumped big brother on the party and the baby on dad and 2of3 and I hit the town. The mall. Whatever. It was awesome.
I just followed him for a while. We started at Walmart, where he got to choose a present. He picked out a $20 pack of hockey cards. (A week before Christmas. Grrr.) We also grabbed a travel checkers kit. And then we headed over to Starbucks. We both got grown-up sized hot chocolates (YUM) and sat at Starbucks where my 7 year old kicked my motherfucking ass at some checkers without me letting him win in any way (not true).
After that, he thought we should ride the little train they have set up for babies around Santa. So we did. We only got nasty looks from about half of the people running the thing. We totally held hands while the train rode around the mall. Oh, we are suckers for the romance. And then 2of3 wanted to go into his favorite store in the whole wide world....House Of Knives. Creepy? A little. Almost my favorite store? Perhaps. We looked at axes and swords and old-fashioned shaving kits and all sorts of sharp, pointy, shiny things. Oh, we are suckers for the sharp, the pointy and the shiny.
And then we went to the grocery store (don't you want to go on a date with me now?) and 2of3 got his dad a chocolate bar and his brother and sister each a necklace out of the vending machine thing. He's thoughtful like that.
We came home after that and for the first time in I can't tell you when, I did NOT have a child rocking in his chair, talking at me incessantly, picking at his brother or whining because the baby got more milk than him. I had a pleasant, sweet kid. I had MY kid back. It. Was. Glorious.
He decreed that Date Night shall be a regular event around here, one Sunday every month. He wanted every Sunday, but I had to remind him that there are 3 other people in this house who would like a date with me, and he agreed to once a month. I wonder where he'll take me next time. Maybe Home Depot.
Once upon a time, when we lived in Denver and the kids' gramma did, too, she would take them on Saturday nights. Sometimes, though, she would just take one of them. Those were the days before 3of3, and the odd-boy-out and I would go on a date. A FANCY date. A not-McDonalds date. Since those days, gramma has moved to South Africa and we moved to Canada, back to Denver, and back to Canada again. Oh, and I went and had another baby. I totally screwed up date night for my boys.
2of3 is taking it the hardest. He lost his place as the baby and he lost his place as the IT boy at school. He doesn't know where he his in his life right now, and we are all paying for it.
Yesterday, dad was actually home for once and 1of3 had a birthday party to attend, so we dumped big brother on the party and the baby on dad and 2of3 and I hit the town. The mall. Whatever. It was awesome.
I just followed him for a while. We started at Walmart, where he got to choose a present. He picked out a $20 pack of hockey cards. (A week before Christmas. Grrr.) We also grabbed a travel checkers kit. And then we headed over to Starbucks. We both got grown-up sized hot chocolates (YUM) and sat at Starbucks where my 7 year old kicked my motherfucking ass at some checkers without me letting him win in any way (not true).
After that, he thought we should ride the little train they have set up for babies around Santa. So we did. We only got nasty looks from about half of the people running the thing. We totally held hands while the train rode around the mall. Oh, we are suckers for the romance. And then 2of3 wanted to go into his favorite store in the whole wide world....House Of Knives. Creepy? A little. Almost my favorite store? Perhaps. We looked at axes and swords and old-fashioned shaving kits and all sorts of sharp, pointy, shiny things. Oh, we are suckers for the sharp, the pointy and the shiny.
And then we went to the grocery store (don't you want to go on a date with me now?) and 2of3 got his dad a chocolate bar and his brother and sister each a necklace out of the vending machine thing. He's thoughtful like that.
We came home after that and for the first time in I can't tell you when, I did NOT have a child rocking in his chair, talking at me incessantly, picking at his brother or whining because the baby got more milk than him. I had a pleasant, sweet kid. I had MY kid back. It. Was. Glorious.
He decreed that Date Night shall be a regular event around here, one Sunday every month. He wanted every Sunday, but I had to remind him that there are 3 other people in this house who would like a date with me, and he agreed to once a month. I wonder where he'll take me next time. Maybe Home Depot.
Reader Comments (11)
That sounds like a perfect date.
I had a similar date with my son a month ago that I blogged about and we too realized that we have to do it more often. Especially with three kids. Isn't it great to seperate them and spend individual time with them?
Loved your post. And I love Home Depot. Check out my daughter in the paint section. She is the blond girl with the pigtails in the Glidden ad.
Tell your son you personally know the girl and she loves Hot Cocoa and boogers too... perfect match.
You know what? The Kid doesn't have anyone else to share me with and we still haven't gone out on a date (that is kind of creepy. can we think of something else to call it?) in forever. I'm so ooking forward to this amazing week after christmas when I have no work to do and we can just have days... : )
Aww. That does sound like a lovely time.
So sweet! I think you guys should go do something corny on your next date, like bowling or something. Home Depot's good, too, though. Or Costco at sampling time - then your date has food too... *grin*
i NEVER have the opportunity for a date, with my first born! i know he needs one, with me. i need one with him, too. but...because i know we never get to go out, by ourselves, at bedtime, i lay in his bed with him and he and i have chat time. he fills me in on the video game adventures he is playing! and...i sometimes get to find out what is going on with him and his friends. but...no matter what he decides to talk about...i love laying there, listening to him.
House of Knives is a truly genius store...
I'm thinking that I might need a mini-date with each of my girls solo someday soon. It never happens with twins and it really should.
Thanks for sharing!
http://www.theonlythingiknow.com" REL="nofollow">The Only Thing I Know is...
It sounds like y'all had a great time! Squeezing in a date night (or even a moment in the damn bathroom alone) with three kids is hard, I know. But the results are well worth the effort (for the date and the bathroom bit). :)
I have the image of you and your son riding the train holding hands. Awesome!
awwww. that is an awesome date. my daughter and i have date night everyweek. yes, she's got me all of the time, but since it's just the two of us, it means that i'm always multitasking. good for you for recognizing the date-need!
It's a DATE Molly. It's not creepy because he really *is* the love of your life. If it still bothers you think of it this way - you are teaching him how to show a girl a good time. you are doing some future chick a HUGE favor :P
So Sh...d'oh. um. Mr. Lady, Aaron is reading over my shoulder, giggling b/c Home Depot is *our* bestest date.
McGuckins is just too damn far from here so we settle for the Depot)