Let's Commence Date Night!

A new movie is opening in theatres on Friday and showcases two of my favorite actors: Tina Fey and Steve Carrell.  The movie is entitled Date Night which I assume means that the plot will cover the myriad of adventures that Fey and Carrell embark upon during their night out on the town.  This got me to thinking about how much my husband and I are in desperate need of a date night ourselves!!! 

I always thought that a good idea for a marriage - especially for one in which there are children - was to make date night a PRIORITY in order to see the marriage survive and thrive.  And when I say date night, I don't mean date night once a year, but once a month at least!  My husband and I began our marriage with this intention and it went well while we lived near family but once we moved our immediate family from one coast to the other to pursue graduate degrees, well, the monthly date night option was tossed out the window because there were no grandparents to take care of the kids.  Ya gotta understand, we are extremely protective of our children so no-one had ever baby-sat our kids before besides grandparents - you can never be too careful with whom you leave your children!

During the 3.5 years of graduate school, I believe our date night ratio was that of 1:4 - 1 date night per every 4 months.  Some of you may think, "Hey!  That's not too bad!"  It's AWFUL!!!  Date night is not just a time to go out to eat, catch a movie, or go shopping, it's a time for the husband and wife to fall in love again and chit-chat about stuff that doesn't really matter but is fun!  Like when you were dating!!!  I prefer not to see movies on date night because that's two wasted hours of me not engaging in coversation with my husband.  Besides, we can always wait for the dumb movie to come out on DVD and then watch it at midnight when the kids are in bed!

Anyway, so graduate school has come and gone and now we've moved our family once again to yet another destination where no family resides near us.  So, date nights have occurred when family comes to town!  But, thankfully, we have joined the local YMCA and they offer free baby-sitting, once a month, for those with family memberships which means that my husband and I are having a date night tomorrow night!!!  I trust the YMCA baby-sitters because I have left my children with them before while I work out and there are always 4 children per 1 adult (2 females and 2 males).   Yay for the YMCA!!! 

What am I going to do on date night?  Bring along our 3 month-old infant for one thing but who knows what we will really do.  Watch the movie Date Night?  Nah, I'll save that for a couple months down the road when I can find it in RedBox.  All that matters to me is that tomorrow night I'll be with my husband - for the most part without kids (knowing they're totally safe where they will be) - and I will enjoy every moment I have with him.  He's my bestest friend!  Can't wait for Date Night to begin!!!  :-) 

I am Mommy - Hear Me Roar!!!

Ever have one of those days where you feel like retiring, giving up, throwing in the hat and never looking back?  This morning I reached my breaking point.  I called my husband and told him that I can't take it anymore.  I want a vacation - all by myself - and I want to quit my job as homeschool teacher, mommy, secretary, taxi driver, maid - whatever title I have with regards to taking care of this family.  At that moment, I was ready to give it all away (my entire life) to the first taker.

What hurled me into this state of mind?  The morning began as any other - waking up to my baby crying, wanting to be nursed, and then going downstairs to make coffee for my husband and prepare his lunch for the workday.  I then enjoyed some breakfast myself while I chatted with my husband and a few moments later the other five children awoke and came down to begin the day as well.  After we all kissed Daddy good-bye, I went into the classroom to check my email and make my "To-Do" list as I do each morning.  I noticed I was missing a couple of items so I asked my oldest son to bring the items downstairs.  A couple minutes later my son returned with all my things as well as a 32 oz. cup filled with water.  I don't know who or what overtook his brain for a mere 2 seconds but whoever/whatever inhabited it, caused my son to royally screw up. 

My son decided that the best place to set my items would be on his computer printer even though there was a massive kidney-shape table behind him, empty, that would have enjoyed, and was fully capable of, holding the items for a few minutes.  As he bent over to set down the items, the 32 oz. cup spilled out its entire contents all over the front of the printer, down the side of the printer, and into every crack and crevice of the printer.  This is not our printer because it belongs to the virtual school for which my son attends.  I am expected to return this printer, in mint condition, to the school in June and now here it was dripping with water and the ink from the ink cartridges was oozing out onto my carpet.

I did what any insane woman would do - I jumped up, yanked out the cords, and started shaking the water out of the printer.  I yelled at my son to find me towels and a blow dryer.  I screamed insults, pulled my hair, stomped my feet, and yelled, in Nancy Kerrigan-like-fashion, "Why me?  Why ME?!?!?!"  My girls came running to the classroom door to see what could possibly have prompted Mommy to react so strangely.  I felt like it was an out-of-body experience as I yelled, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!!!" over and over again as I frantically dried out the printer. 

I began to cry out of frustration and guilt.  No, my son was not stupid; it was just an accident.  But the stress level had errupted and I took it out on my son.  How many times have I accidentally spilled water near my own computer?  Did I behave like an idiot-woman then?  No.  How many times have I gotten my cell phone slightly wet and yet it still worked?  Did I insult myself by calling me "stupid?"  Well, sometimes but I never responded to the situation in drama-queen/insane-woman fashion as I did this morning with my son.  I caused him to cry and I felt horrible!  I had done what the Bible says not to do (Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath) - the verse also applies to mothers and here I was breaking this commandment.  I am sure I caused my son to cry in anger, not out of regret, because it's not as if he spilled the water on purpose.  Afterall, he was obeying and being helpful by bringing my items downstairs.

My children heard me roar this morning and it wasn't pleasant.  The lesson learned here is that kids are kids and sometimes a crazy monster does take their brain hostage and they do foolish things which may sometimes be costly.  But, that's a kid's prerogative, right?  I constantly did equally foolish things with electronics when I was my son's age.  I broke my family's VCR player by cramming in a video because I thought I was gently nudging it in when there was in fact another video in the player already.  I broke my parents' electrical mirrors on the station wagon because I wanted to see what was in my teeth.  How stupid was that?  One mirror wasn't enough, I had to try the other one!!!  Come on, now! 

So why did I lose it with my son and roar?  Because I'm stressed with financial burdens?  Or because I've had lack of sleep this past week due to guests?  Who cares what the reason/excuse, I hurt my son and the words and behavior I displayed...I cringe to think what I looked like to my children!  I can never take back those words and actions.  I did apologize to all the kids after I eventually calmed down and I asked their forgiveness.  I also prayed to God - in front of them - that He would forgive Mommy for being unkind and acting unwisely.  I don't want to crush my kids' spirits - they are beautiful souls - now all I can do is to remember daily to pray for God's strength and love to surround me as I interact with my kids and respond sanely to all the foolish things they may do :)