Parental Romance

 

It's Valentine's Day. If you are like most parents, if you made it out last night (or if you don’t live in New England you might be out tonight) you ended up talking about the kid(s). Especially if you spent the better part of the last two weeks in New England buried in 3-5 feet of snow. With more on the way. Hmm…that’s also Mother Nature’s way of ensuring there are more KIDS on the way, don’t you think?

 

 

My kids are 14 and 11. I look back at our lives as parents and think about what romance means anymore. A long time ago, in the land of BC ("before children"), date nights weren't even called that. Every night was a date night as long as we were together. We went out a lot and cooked in a lot. Then the first baby came and a date consisted of him feeding me while I fed the baby. Then she got bigger and we could all eat together at the table but our schedules didn’t allow for that every night. Fortunately, the occasional date night was able to happen then, thanks to family nearby and a few trusted babysitters.

 

 

Aaaannnddd that’s how another baby came along...

 

Then the cycle went around again.

 

Food forked into mouth by hubby while boob in baby’s mouth. Then two small children at the table. And then came the week where the hubby took care of the kids for 8 nights while I went on a Caribbean cruise for a family reunion.

 

 

Cue the sexy music. He got a lot of points by doing that!

 

 

Nope, no more kids in the plan.

 

 

Now romance is found in different ways. When he says, “I got this” when one child calls from the bedroom late at night. When I cook a dinner without peppers or mushrooms (both of which he hates). When we go on a hike and he helps me down the mountain the whole way with a hand or both of his shoulders because my legs are shaking from climbing for too long.

When he takes the trash down the driveway, every time, on the right day because I never remember and would really rather not do that job. When he takes the kids to dentist appointments because I’m at work. The little kiss as he passes by me in the kitchen, just because.

 

 

Love doesn’t require large, showy gestures most of the time. It’s always the little things.

Yup, the little things.

 

 

Here’s wishing you a lifetime of little things in your romantic life!

 

What do you consider romantic?