Date Night: Riverside Walks, Terrible Selfies and Foot Long Subs

The husband and I both felt plain tired after a day packing our place up yesterday in preparation for our move next week so date night was the last thing on our minds but the sitter was booked so we preserved and thank goodness we did.

It was the most fun 3 hours we’ve had in a long…

Rediscovering yourselves as a couple is important when kids come along but logistically it can be hard to find the time or energy. Date nights or date days (we’re a fan of those) can feel a bit indulgent and high maintenance but they’re not, they’re the foundation of a healthy, long-lasting relationship. See them as self-care for your relationship.

Our own date night had been a long time coming here. 3 months long to be exact as our ‘actress by day, babysitter by night’ neighbour selfishly 😉 bagged herself a role in a CBBC drama which meant living in Scotland for months on end, and of course post-operation, meant date night wasn’t high on my list of priorities. Hurrah then for my recovery (full recovery can take a year), the return of our babysitter, and strolls plus Subs (the sandwich) in Windsor for the best of date nights. Oh, the romance!

To be fair, it really was romantic. Peter and I wandered the streets we now call home hand-in-hand, a pink sky above us, punctuated by dazzling lights from the fairground far off, with swans gliding past us on the Thames, grateful for the last of the tourists eager to still feed them as the sun went down.

It was there that we stopped, breathed in the picture-postcard view and posed for a series (make that 2784906574 x selfies) -well, I MADE Peter pose. Sadly we failed to get any of the insta-worthy aforementioned additions in them, #notevenasolitaryswan.

We did however, chat non-stop, (and surprisingly, not solely about the offspring either); we laughed too, that silly uncontrollable, ‘not drunk but we feel it’ laughter that comes from knowing and loving someone for most of your adult life (we met in our early 20s).

We reminisced about the uni years and Alexander’s (5) recent comedic antics, his personality now more fully formed and entertaining (‘I love making people laugh, Daddy’)…We plotted and planned the interior design of our new home (peering into brightly lit furniture shop windows, arguing over sofas-he wants a 7 seater, I don’t) and then we went to Subway (really)….Early on, Peter had joked we should grab a Subway for dinner (how we laughed) but a foot long Sub was all I could think of, and despite passing fellow couples and friends eating al fresco, living their best lives by the river in front of our eyes. I JUST wanted a salad sub drizzled in sweet onion sauce so that’s what I got.  Peter even plumped for a bag of cheesy Doritos and can of Lilt to accompany his tuna salad!

A tipsy woman shouted at us on her exit to enjoy our night, laughing that we would be making babies tonight. I love that her beer goggles assumed we were love’s young dream and not late 30 year old parents with two kids tucked up in bed at home!

…After the sub-scoffing, we popped into an ice cream parlour hoping for sorbet but got restless waiting to be served (it was packed to the rafters) so we took the long route home, rounding up the hour for the sitter, and returned to our life in boxes and kissed our sleeping babes.  What a wonderful night. In those 3 short hours (which whizzed by), Peter and I reconnected in a way you can only do, when you’re ACTUALLY able to talk and listen to one another for 180 minutes straight without the constant interruption of your kids. It was bliss.

With every date night, I really do fall more in love with that one. Yes, I know that’s a soppy af statement but it’s true af too so there it is.

After my earlier laziness, I now can’t wait to do date night all over again. Next time, it won’t be a 3 month long wait either and it’s unlikely to take place in Subway (however much I love those Subs) but I know, whatever we do, wherever we are, as long as we’re taking terrible selfies together and having a laugh, we’ll be happy.

 

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