Date Night

Nate and I got to have an actual date night last night just over a week after our anniversary.  It was so nice!  When people have told us how we need to make each other a priority, we both brushed it off.  We have an infant for goodness sakes!  How can we possibly make our relationship a priority?  Sure, we've had more offers than either of us ever thought would be possible for babysitters, but leave our son?  With someone else? Can we actually do that?

Now that we have a toddler, the idea of date night became more and more appealing.  Time without the child?  That's actually something we can have?  Going to a movie is possible?

On our limited budget, date nights aren't something we've been able to afford either.  For two of us to go to a movie costs about $20.  Then if we want to go eat before or after, that's another $10 or so.  So at the very least, we're looking at $30.  That could be used for diapers instead of time together.  Then we discovered $5 Tuesdays at the movie theater.  All of a sudden date night became more possible.

Leaving 2.0 with our good friend and neighbor Kelly, we took off to DQ.  Yes, we have Whitey's here and it would've been comparable in price, but sometimes you just want a blizzard.  After ordering our treats, we went outside to sit in the beautiful weather, talking about nothing, not answering email or looking at our phones for more than the time.  No kid talk, no work talk, no talk about Nate's new cornea.  Just inside jokes and mindless goofing off.  It reminded me of when we first got married all those years ago...

We went from there to the movie theater for the Avengers.  We saw previews for movies we want to see later this summer.  We held hands as we watched the movie, leaning over to whisper comments to each other.  We laughed at the same parts.  I was reminded of what it had been like before the baby, before we got married, when we were dating and sitting through Spiderman 2 among other movies.  It was wonderful.  After the movie was over, we both knew it was time to go back to being parents, to go back to real life.  But then Nate turned to me and said "want to sneak into Men In Black 3?" and for a moment I was tempted.

Maybe if it hadn't been bed time...

It made me a little sad to think that I didn't miss my little boy the whole time we were gone.  I didn't want the date to end.  When we got home and I saw my son look up at me and smile, then run to his father and jabber at him in baby language, I was happy.  It was nice to have a break, but it was nice to come home too.  It was even nicer to remember who my husband is and what we have always had together.  

Next time we'll have to sneak into Men In Black 3.