dating for dummies

Dating has been tough for my hubby and I.  When we were first married we didn't date much because we felt it would save money and we figured that since we were together so much we really didn't need to go OUT.  We convinced ourselves that we'd date LATER after we had children.  Five years later we finally had a child and still didn't date, largely because we couldn't.  We had a challenging child on our hands who wore out her babysitters and we couldn't get anymore.  So, we did the young parent date... We waited till Boo went to sleep and then we ordered Chinese food and rented a movie.  That kind of dating worked for a while BUT we didn't quite keep it up.  Years went by and we still really weren't dating and our daughter was getting older.  Now, for some having an older child might make it easier for date.  For us it is still challenging.  our daughter seems to have a hobby of finding ways to get herself grounded.  Grounded = no mommy & daddy leaving the house together.  So, recently I discovered I'd officially HAD it with the no dating thing.  I need that time with my husband where I'm not sharing him with anyone, even with our daughter. So, I started looking for ideas.  Ideally I was looking for ideas on how to date with  your teenager still around.  nothing like that exists.  I did, however, find some really cute little blogs and websites such as Love Actually, and the Dating Divas, and Project 52.  They have so many cute ideas and Johnny and I have started implementing some of them.  We have 2 rules. 

1) one date per week with each of us trading being responsible 

2) the dates, whenever possible, take place in our room.

It's been fun.

Tonight my darling husband got Chinese food and turned our bedroom into a Chinese restaurant. he spread out a table cloth on our bed and propped up pillows all over.  he even put candles in these flat little rock candle holders on our bed (and we didn't light anything on fire!).  It was so sweet and so fun and such an escape from the world outside.