Multiple factors influenced the decision, including:
-Having a newborn at home.
-Closing soon on our new house (without having sold our current house), which is a joint Valentine's present for the next 30 years or so.
-Still recovering from Bab-E Brother's baptism the day before (I'm still too tired to write about it.)
-Dad-E having lost about 5 pounds in the 2 days prior thanks to getting "stomach flu" from Little Brother.
However, after being cooped up in the house for some 48-odd hours, except for going to church and the baptism, cabin fever (and my desire to eat something other than Gatorade) got the best of us and we decided to get out at dinnertime.
How's this for romantic?
-I managed to shower and put on non-jammy clothes.
-Mom-E went for a run before we left and did not shower (but freshened up).
-I got the boys out of their jammies and back into regular clothes
-We drove down the street to Subway.
-Mom-E and I split a footlong turkey sub (but did not kiss in the middle like Lady & the Tramp due to my gastroenteritis).
-Big & Little Brother feasted on chips, green pepper, apples, and chocolate milk.
-Bab-E Brother feasted on turkey sub-flavored Mom-E milk.
-We then piled back into the minivan and drove around for an hour or so. ALL 3 BOYS FELL ASLEEP IN THE MINIVAN.
-ALL 3 BOYS WERE SUCCESSFULLY TRANSFERED FROM MINIVAN TO BED--WITHOUT WAKING UP--AT 7:30 (NEW WORLD RECORD)!
-Before 9pm, dishes were done, lunches packed, laundry folded and put away, and the house decluttered.
-Mom-E and I sat on the couch and enjoyed watching some of the Winter Olympics, particularly the moguls.
-Mom-E informed me that the Valentine's card she bought me was abducted on the way home from the grocery store.
-I informed Mom-E that the Valentine's card I was going to buy was abducted before I had the chance to buy it.
-Mom-E presented me with an 8-pack of white athletic socks, which, incidentally, were purchased the first time she went out shopping with all 3 boys. (You must understand how badly I needed new socks (and hate to buy them), and that this was a most thoughtful gift.)
And yet, in a way, it was all really quite nice. The boys were smiling and contently munching between moments of laughter and questions. Bab-E Brother sat bright-eyed in his carseat
But for me, it was romantic just being around the people I love the most. (Sure, Mom-E and I can still use the occasional date.)
And, of course, our restful Valentine's sleep was brought to an abrupt close in the 5am hour, owing to 2 boys who went to bed early, and therefore, were early to rise. But such is the chaos that we openly embrace.
See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E
Posts
Ah, those types of days can be very romantic. I wish you all some wonderful sleep.
ReplyDeleteWith 3 small children, a little quiet on the couch definitely qualifies as a stolen moment.
ReplyDelete"I informed Mom-E that the Valentine's card I was going to buy was abducted before I had the chance to buy it."
ReplyDeleteGreat line. So true, happens to my wife and I all the time.
You got the house decluttered and folded laundry.
ReplyDeleteHow envious I am.
Redefining and the ability to do it, is part of what makes a good marriage!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your Valentine's Day was romantic, indeed. Maybe it wasn't what some think as a traditional Valentine's Day date, but it sounds like both of you enjoyed it! I hope both of you get some sleep.
ReplyDeleteThat was great and I"m so glad you got the boys to bed early. Sounds like a great bedtime to me! Haha, we are eternally greatful for little cousins 5PM bedtime. Sometimes it interrupts plans, but on a lot of days, after we've played hard all day, its so great to have quiet time and time to catch up on things and put the house back together. I'm so glad you guys had a nice valentines! I made Uncl-E's card in the interest of saving money. Those cards are darn expensive! I have to say that we also had a very laid back vday last yr as we had a one week old baby at the time. Uncl-E made homemade pizza and we ate it in front of the TV....which we NEVER do! Well, we make pizza often, but rarely eat a meal in front of the TV. Anyway, happy late v-day!
ReplyDeletelove,aunt-e
PS let me just add that the 5PM bedtime was totally self-induced! We aren't that crazy that we would make him go to bed that early! aunt-e
ReplyDeleteSounds like you managed to have fun considering the restrictive circumstances. How does one freshen up after a run without showering? Is that like a cowboy shower or something? :-)
ReplyDelete@WM: Yeah, we'll get around to sleeping one of these days.
ReplyDelete@Seashore Subjects: It's definitely measured in moments.
@OShea: Sometimes we just like to show each other the card we'd buy each other while we're at the store together.
@Eric: Only because we're trying to sell it.
@Gramm-E: Is redefining repetitively redundant?
@Surprised Mom: We had a nice time.
@Aunt-E: I wish my bedtime was 5pm.
@Keith: Here, freshen up = change into dry clothes without showering.
Haha----at least it is not as bad as this: "An annual gala is a gala that happens annually every year" heehee
ReplyDelete