Tinsel on a Christmas Tree Can Hang Longer Than Parents Can at Night

Not too long ago, my husband and I had a date night at a romantic and delicious Northern Italian café in North Raleigh.


Our sitter knocked on our door at 6 p.m. and helped get the kids their dinner. We left at 7 p.m. to travel to the other side of town to make our 7:30 p.m. dinner reservation. The kids were happy, and we were happy. 

We were as merry as this shiny, tinsel Christmas tree when we drove out of the driveway. 

We could finally have a nice dinner alone without any whining, or telling our son to eat over his plate or sit up in his chair.  We could have a conversation and perhaps ignite some romance.

It was a great scenario. 

So what’s the problem?

We are tired, old, middle-aged parents with small children.  That’s the problem!

After a glass or two of Chianti, we became so tired that all we wanted to do was lay our heads down in our veal parmigiana.  I honestly think I drifted off five minutes before entering our subdivision.  Good thing I wasn’t driving.

Look at us.  We look happy, but worn out. 

I'm only showing you this horrible photo to prove my point.   Our heart is saying, "Go have fun!", but our
head is saying, "Check, please! Let's call it a night."

Like most parents, we had a busy day that started with our oldest child tapping us on the shoulder at 7:30 am.  My husband did yard work while I entertained the kids the rest of the day, with a few errands also thrown in the mix.  We basically went non-stop until the sitter came.

After that last bite of dessert at 10 p.m., we knew we were just half an hour or so away from our dream of crawling into our king-sized bed on our separate sides and snoozing until we got that dreaded tap on the shoulder the next morning.

We had a lovely time and great dinner, but I honestly think daytime TV dramas are on to something with their “love in the afternoon” theme.

Personally, I think we need a lunch date when we are still refreshed and still have the energy to enjoy each other’s company.  A romantic lunch date would give us an active break from the kids while they are up and all of us are still full of life. 

Yeah, that is starting to be more appealing than going out when they are in bed, and our sitter gets to do what we enjoy best: sitting on the couch and watching TV in quiet. That’s the best part of our day.

Yep, this may be middle age talking.  I did have my last child at 40.  Or perhaps it is just being a parent, and age isn’t a factor.  

Regardless, I’ve given it some thought. A daytime date sounds like a good plan, or if not a lunchtime date, then perhaps a 5:30 p.m. dinner with the senior citizens timed so that we come home just as soon as the last child is asleep. 

Now that’s amore!  Are you with me? 



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