Early Valentine date night

I'll bet I can already guess what reader reaction to this post is going to be. Those without kids are going to gasp in horror, dig in their purse to double check they took the pill this morning, and then think what a sad sad woman I am. Those with older kids are going to laugh out loud and thank their stars they are past this point. And finally, those in my boat, are going to pat me on the back with empathy and offer to pour me a class of merlot. Sigh, if only I could drink it. Well, here goes: My husband and I went on a date last week for the first time in three years. Yes, I just said three years. When Soren was still nameless and in my belly we saw King Kong. Every time the monkey roared he would kick me relentlessly. He wasn't a fan of big scary noises. We have thought often about getting a sitter and taking a night off from the boys. But there was always an issue, like breastfeeding or sickness. Much of it was guilt. After leaving them all day five days a week, the last thing we thought we should do was spend more time away from them at night. And frankly, we've just been too tired. But last week was unconventional at our house and we finally recognized a window of opportunity. It was a little weird at first. I wondered if we would just talk about the kids the entire time. But we didn't. We took a chilly walk downtown, a constant stream of chatter about politics and jobs and current events. We walked arm-in-arm not arm-kid-kid-arm. I didn't want to take any chances on the meal so we opted for my very favorite in town, Il Bistro. Of course it was delicious. I actually ate a hot meal, never getting up from the table, and I had dessert because I couldn't have any wine. We ate until we were stuffed and waddled back home. We weren't quite sure what to do with ourselves after that so we broutht the boys home. But not before we promised to do it again real soon. Maybe next time they can spend the night with grandma.