Reinventing date night

Our evenings are often spent in the living with something on the telly occupying my brain as a means to shut it off. I keep telling myself that we're not missing out on dates because we never used to go on them much anyway. Trying to be careful with money, we rarely went out for dinner and only ventured to the big cities for a concert three or four times since we moved here. Our last guests kept insisting how important it is to have some time - just the two of us - regardless of what we did.

With a bottle of chilled white wine left over from said friends, we decided to take it out onto the porch after Sweet One fell asleep. Despite getting the table and chairs when the in-laws were here, I had spent very little time using them.

Before we knew it, almost two hours had passed. My quiet husband who keeps most things locked up in his brain until he fully understands them talked just as much as I did. We laughed at ourselves and our families, shared our worries and were able to reconnect and focus on each other in a way we haven't for awhile. Surprisingly, the conversation wasn't even about Sweet One! A husband and wife enjoying each other's company.

No longer do I feel like we need a fancy restaurant or brilliant concert to attend in order to have a date. I need to stop going directly to the tv every night once Sweet One is asleep and enjoy my husband's company. We have made a date for next Sunday night. We'll pick up a bottle of wine and then maybe some lovely chocolate!

(Sweet One had a bit of a difficult day and now with my gin and tonic I am sitting across the table. It is nice not to have my brain numbed immediately!)