Day of Dates

About 4 years ago Ryan and I took ballroom dance classes and had a blast!  We totally had fun stepping on each other's toes but also enjoyed every second of having a weekly date that we were committed to showing up for!  We've reminisced and wished for the last 4 years that we were still doing that...other priorities got in the way (like baby #3 and baby #4! and various other excuses!)

Well we finally decided we were going to somehow carve out the time and money to make it happen again.  Hallelujah!  As life gets more chaotic we see each other less and need these dates more and more just to stay connected.  Plus it really is fun to waltz around the room with no babies hanging on our legs!  So, we started our weekend off with our awesome weekly date!

We are blessed to have the most wonderful family for neighbors.  She and I help each other out all the time with quick runs to the grocery store and other child care helps.  In the spirit of trading back and forth they offered to send us out on a date before they have another baby and we get our turn to babysit.  So we took them up on it!

We took Hayley out on a date with just Dad & Mom.

This was the "big talk" that we've been dragging our feet on forever!  Yeah...kind of meant to check that box at 8 years old.  Amazing how easy it is to procrastinate.  After 10 years of dreading this "talk" I'm wondering now what I was worried about?!?!  It was perfect--no awkwardness--and I'm not worried about the next 3.  I'll post more details later for those of you that still have a few years to squirm and don't know how to handle this.  But the short story is that we hung out at Panera Bread for breakfast then found an empty field, laid out a blanket and talked!

Man!  She's growing up!

Then because we still had willing babysitters and time on the clock Ryan & I escaped for a quick hike doing one of his favorite things...letterboxing!

After we returned it was my turn to take Alice out.  A slurpee date at Target (you know those errands that masquerade as dates?!)  Alice is my silly & fun kid to hang out with.  4 years old is hard though....on me and her!  So one-on-on time with no whining or battles is much needed therapy for both of us.  I stole this little trick from Values Parenting.  I told her 10 things I loved about her/things she was good at, while writing the first letter of each thing on her fingers.  Sometimes it's good to stop and remember the good stuff! 

After all that Ryan took Maya on a date [trip to Lowes] so everyone ended up with love buckets filled...

...and yet we still had a cranky bedtime!  Thank goodness for pictures to remind me of all the good moments!