Last week was the kids’ spring break, and they, along with their cousin, spent two days with John’s parents in Coos Bay. That meant John and I had two days on our own, which was delightful. We felt so drunk with freedom one night we went out for pie — at 8 PM.

There’s a big difference between briefly stepping out without the kids (our normal ultra-lame getaway is what we call the store date, which is where us adults go to Safeway and wander the aisles bullshitting while the kids are back home staring at YouTube), and having them totally under someone else’s care for a decent period of time. It’s rejuvenating, a bit like coming up for an extra-oxygenated inhale. It’s an opportunity to actually connect as married people, not married people with kids.

(I mean, even though we tend to talk about the kids the whole time.)

This stage of parenting is much less hands-on than those early bootcamp years, but it’s consuming all the same. Now we have, like, people around all the time, people who are present in a way small children are not, so pretty much everything we talk about and everything we do is as a foursome. It can be hard to step out of that and be reminded, this is who I still am as an individual, or this is who we are as a couple.

It was so great to have that break from our usual routine, be able to take a minute to think, Oh hey, it’s us. I like us. Let’s go get us some pie.

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Stephanie
Stephanie
5 years ago

Goddamn, woman. It’s like you’re inside my head expressing my thoughts (far more eloquently than I would, btw). Please don’t go away again. I need you/your words in my life.

Pete
Pete
5 years ago

Alone time together is very important. Glad you guys could have some.

camille
camille
5 years ago

Glad for you to have some kid-free time. Completely unrelated: what facial products do you use? Your skin looks radiant!

Donna Plumley Brubach
Donna Plumley Brubach
5 years ago

It’s important to be together.

Ginger
Ginger
5 years ago

But, here’s the thing. What kind of pie did you get???

Amy
Amy
5 years ago

Sounds delightful!

Suzanne
5 years ago

YES. I always feel like, “Oh right! I like you! I like spending time with you!” Because your time together is so different when there’s a kiddo around; as though you are two halves of one Parent rather than two individuals in a couple. That is poorly stated. But I’m glad you got that time! May all parents have MORE of that time together!

Kate
Kate
5 years ago

It seems so far away for me to imagine having kids who can participate in a conversation. Mine are 6 and 3 and conversations with them are… Well you know — find your shoes, bedtime is for sleeping, don’t yell at the dog. For us a “store date” is when we go to the store *with the kids.* I’m as excited for conversations with 9- and 12-year-olds as I am for the idea of leaving them at home by themselves with YouTube.

Perspective, man. You give me it.

Tracy
Tracy
5 years ago

Just thought of you and googled your blog after a long time away. Very happy to see you two looking so happy. Take care, be well. Just an internet stranger who worries and cares about you.