We are parents who went on a date!
Dear parents of littles and middles,
There is hope. Do not despair. You will be alone together again...at some point. Though your life is currently filled with sleepless nights and a fear that you have no identity beyond that of “food- maker, diaper-changer, clothes-washer, spill-cleaner-upper, unshowered-exhausted-unattractive-parental unit” please let me speak to you from the future and say: WE JUST WENT ON A GUILT FREE DATE AND MADE OUT IN THE STREET!
That’s right! We left the kids at home alone, spent the night in a nice hotel (a friggin pimped out Valencian hotel for half the cost of a Holiday Inn Express, btw), enjoyed a romantic dinner cooked by someone else, saw a movie, had a night cap at a cool bar, made eyes at each other, slept in a comfy AND QUIET bed that we didn’t have to make up the next morning, slept in *always ask if a late check out is available!*, held hands whilst strolling around the city center and found a cool coffee spot, climbed an old church tower that we stumbled upon, ambled and window shopped a bit more, had another fantastic meal for lunch and then made our leisurely way home to the kids.
I know you don’t believe me. You can’t begin to imagine casually wondering the streets without some ankle biter howling about his or her insatiable need for that candy coated stuffed animal he just saw in the window. I remember that feeling. Stuck. Our first 5 kids were all born within a five-year span, and between the car payments, housing costs, medical and credit card debt, and grocery bills we just couldn’t afford the time or expense of a date. Much less the babysitter’s hourly rate. I thought we might never again see the inside of a restaurant that didn’t serve chicken nuggets or have the atmosphere of a circus. A cheap circus. Oh yes, I remember. But I’m telling you, you will rise like a phoenix from the ashes of that baby food stained pajama shirt you’re still wearing, even though it’s 1:45pm.
And if the fact that we could carve out the time and money for a night out on the town blows your mind, let me also say that while we were gone the kids had their own activities and outings that went off without a hitch. For real!
We left to check in to our hotel before school was out - so the middles picked the littles up from school. Everyone got home and handled homework, chores, lunch AND dinner! Then 4 of the bigs had their orchestra rehearsal and private lessons. Meanwhile our daughter, Zion, sat on the two little ones and got them tucked in at bed time. Afterward, the 5 bigs watched a movie. The following morning, Carter took Paden to a futbol teammate's birthday party, while the rest handled Saturday chores, finished the homework, and had general free time. All of which took place with minimal texts to us about one child's desire to punch another in the throat. Our 13-year-old, Titus, even made lunch without texting to ask us how to turn on the oven.
I know. I know. Quit shaking your head. You don’t believe me. But it’s all true.
When we got home late that afternoon they all seemed basically happy, and ready for family movie time...which to me is the ultimate way to end a day or two away from the kids.
Does it sound like a dream? Well, it IS! The dream of the parent drowning in diapers and laundry. Yes, it will take some work, preparation, and patience to get there. But hold on to the hope you grubby, exhausted, cleaner of projectile vomit. The dream is real and it’s wonderful! And it'll be here in just a few very long, sleep-deprived, amazingly memorable years.