The Dating Game

(john fresh off the mission, and when the dating began!)

When I was a kid, my parents had a date every single weekend. We had a regular babysitter, and we just knew that on Friday or Saturday night, mom and dad would go out. Mom would have us fed and bathed and in p.j.s before 5 so all the sitter had to do was put us to bed.

When I got older and became the babysitter, my parents' date night preparations changed just a little. It involved a stop at the video store for at least 2 movies and a trip to the grocery store for treats. Once the treats got home, out came the baggies and we counted out the entire bag of Skittles and/or Starburts into 6 equal piles. No way could one of us have more than the other...

This was the pattern for as long as I can remember. I did not love babysitting, and I often resented that my parents went out every weekend.

But. I so appreciate the lessons that it taught me. I learned that my parents loved each other and actually enjoyed being alone together. I learned that reconnecting regularly as adults (not parents) is important to a marriage. And now as an adult, I recognize that my parents' dating habit enabled them to make the transition from a full house to an empty nest without too much trauma.

Since John and I got married, we have made a point of going out nearly every weekend (especially once we had kids). We used to have a regular sitter who just knew that every weekend we would use her, but now {{angels singing hallelujah in the background}} we have kids old enough to tend themselves. We make sure the kids have treats, and every weekend off we go!

I joke a lot about it, but honestly, I think it keeps me sane. To have the opportunity to not be "mom" once a week is very refreshing, and I don't think we could survive without it. Even when all we do is grab a bite to eat and go to the grocery store, we have fun just being together.

I am grateful for the example that I had of parents who dated. And I am also grateful for a husband who loves to date me, and that he so fully embraced the concept of dating in marriage. I know it will make a huge difference in our marriage as we transition through all of life's stages.